The death toll rose to 21 in North China on Friday as storms continued to ravage the region.

The snowstorms left a trail of destruction that will cost more than half a billion dollars to repair, the Civil Affairs Ministry said on Friday.

Heavy snow, which has not been seen in the region for decades, left 21 people dead in seven provinces, the ministry said on its website.

The number does not include deaths came in traffic accidents that were connected to the storms that began on Nov 9, the ministry said.

The deaths prompted the General Office of the State Council — China's cabinet — to issue a circular on Friday ordering local governments to check the safety of buildings used for schools, hospitals and seniors' homes.

The National Meteorological Center predicted on Friday that more snow will hit northwestern and northeastern China in the next three days.

The snowfall has been the heaviest in some areas since records began after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The ministry estimated that economic losses from the storm stood at 4.46 billion yuan ($652 million).

More than 7.5 million people have been affected by the storms that have caused the collapse of more than 9,000 buildings, damaged 190,000 hectares of crops and forced the evacuation of 158,000 people.

Almost 160,000 people had been stranded on roads or evacuated from their homes, the ministry's statement said.

Beijing, which lies at the heart of the affected area, has been hit by three successive dumps of snow that have caused havoc on roadways and forced the cancellation or delay of scores of flights.