Sandstorms, cold wreak havoc in northwest China

BEIJING, April 21 (Reuters) - Sandstorms and plunging temperatures brought by a severe cold snap in northwest China have damaged crops, killed livestock and affected five million people, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

Freezing weather since Thursday in northwestern Xinjiang had "wreaked havoc", causing an economic loss of about 5 billion yuan ($714 million), Xinhua said, citing local authorities.

"The disaster affected 473,733 hectares of crops, or 69 percent of the total in the region, and 411,466 hectares of fruit trees," the agency quoted Xinjiang vice-chairman Qian Zhi as saying.

About 103,500 livestock were killed, and another 3.25 million "injured or lost," Qian said.

The regional government in predominantly Muslim Xinjiang, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, had ordered authorities to step up relief efforts, Xinhua said.

The cold snap coincided with the early arrival of China's typhoon season. Typhoon Neoguri slammed into China's southern island province of Hainan at the weekend, causing power cuts and leaving 18 fishermen missing. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by David Fox)