Tanks were sent to Hefei-Anqing expressway on Thursday evening and the de-icing work started on early Saturday morning. The expressway has suffered heavy snowfall in the past week, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded.

Tanks are busy de-icing the road surface along Hefei-Anqing expressway Saturday, Feb 2.

Tanks are busy de-icing the road surface along Hefei-Anqing expressway Saturday, Feb 2.

Tanks are busy de-icing the road surface along Hefei-Anqing expressway Saturday, Feb 2.

Tanks roll on the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway to de-ice the snow- and ice-covered road surface as soldiers shovel snow in Chenzhou, central China's Hunan Province, February 3, 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2008)