by Donald Wood
Last updated: 5:05 PM ET, Wed February 3, 2016
Photo via Twitter/IncredibleTrade
Crowding at airports or rail stations can be a major headache, but travelers in China found out it can always get worse as around 100,000 people were stranded in Guangzhou's main railway station Monday.
According to Tom Phillips of The Guardian, travelers trying to make their way home for next week's New Year celebrations encountered winter storms that have caused major delays and cancellations across eastern and central China.
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At Guangzhou Station, at least 23 trains were delayed by the weather, stranding an estimated 100,000 people at and around the facility. Officials in Guangzhou said they expected a total of 176,000 passengers on Monday alone.
BBC Newsbeat shared several stunning images of the congestion at Guangzhou Station on Twitter:
Chinese media reported that city officials were forced to declare a "level two emergency," resulting in the deployment of more than 2,600 security guards to the rail station.
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A follow-up story from the Wall Street Journal reported at least 34,000 travelers were still stranded at Guangzhou station as of Tuesday morning.
This wasn't the first time Guangzhou's rail hub has faced an overflow of travelers, as around 80,000 passengers were stranded in 2013 due to a landslide, according to Shanghaiist.com.
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