HANOI, Jan 25 — Unusually low temperatures in northern Vietnam have farmers struggling to keep their crops and animals alive.

Resourceful residents had to improvise as they struggled to deal with the coldest winter in 40 years.

One man used farm tools to clear ice from the road, while another villager lit a fire and piled on the blankets to keep the livestock warm.

Parts of Lao Cai Province on the border with China saw temperatures drop to minus four degrees Celsius — about 25 Fahrenheit.

A farmer there used warm water to try to defrost a vegetable patch.

It wasn’t much better in town.

Hundreds of people were stranded Sapa, a popular tourist destination.

Police struggled to direct drivers unused to travelling on snowy and icy roads. — Reuters