BEIJING, November 13 (RIA Novosti) - At least 36 people have died in north China during heavy snow, China's Sina news service reported on Friday.

Snowstorms blanketed the country on Wednesday following several days of harsh weather, destroying buildings and causing road accidents, the news service said.

Four children died and 35 were injured in the Hebei and Henan provinces when a school canteen collapsed under the weight of the snow, Sina said.

Some 478 road accidents took place in the country's Shandong province. Twenty-four people died and 70 were injured as a result.

Traffic in many cities was frozen and hundreds of flights were delayed due to the snow, the news service said.

The National Disaster Reduction Committee and the Ministry of Civil Affairs declared on Wednesday a third-level emergency following the snowstorm, the China Daily said.

On Wednesday, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited Shijiazhuang, the capital city of worst-hit Hebei province, in order to coordinate efforts aimed at fighting the blizzard, the paper said.