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China's coal miners are working overtime during the Lunar New Year holiday to fuel power stations that shut down over the past month amid the biggest snowfalls since 1954.

Some 64 percent, or 2,882, of China's coal mines are operating during the holiday, double the number of a year ago, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the National Workplace Emergency Management Center.

Snowfall in central and southern China brought transport networks to a standstill, killed more than 80 people and caused direct economic losses of about 80 billion yuan ($11 billion), according to the Red Cross Society of China, Xinhua said Feb. 6.

The extra coal production will bolster reserves to meet increased demand as some 7 percent of the nation's coal-fired power plants that were shut resume power generation, according to Xinhua. About 80 percent of those plants that were closed are working again.

Power shortages affected at least half of the 31 provinces in China, which burns coal to generate about 78 percent of its electricity. More than 20 million households that had lost power had electricity restored by yesterday, accounting for 92 percent of affected families.

Coal stockpiles at power plants climbed to a combined 21.7 million tons as of Feb. 8, enough of the fuel for 11 days on average, according to Xinhua.

Weather for most of eastern and southern China will continue to improve, the China Meteorological Administration said on its Web site today.

China deployed 625,000 troops and police officer, and 1.85 million paramilitary personnel, for the relief efforts as of 6:00 p.m. yesterday, Xinhua said. More than 840,000 workers were sent to repair telecommunication facilities nationwide, it said.

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