Fog strands passengers at Urumqi airport

URUMQI - More than 5,000 passengers have been stranded after heavy fog shrouded the airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Tuesday.

As of 4 p.m., 5,460 people were stuck at Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi since 18 outbound flights from the airport were canceled and 41 were postponed, while eight inbound flights were canceled, 29 delayed, and 42 rearranged to land in other cities in Xinjiang and neighboring Gansu Province, according to the airport's operation command center.

Visibility at the airport failed to meet the required level for take-offs on Tuesday.

It is the second time in a week that fog has left more than 5,000 passengers stranded at the airport. The extreme weather also had a similar effect on Friday.