Heavy fog strands over 10,000 travelers in SW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-18 16:14

CHENGDU -- Thick fog blanketed southwest China's Sichuan Province Sunday, stranding at least 10,000 passengers in the province's main airport and forcing the closure of 10 expressways.

An airplane docks at the Shuangliu International Airport in Southwest China's Chengdu City Saturday January 17, 2009. The airport was closed for more than five hours, delaying 121 flights and stranding at least 10,000 passengers. [chinanews.com]

The Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu City, the provincial capital, was closed for more than five hours, delaying 121 incoming and outgoing flights. Another four flights were canceled.

The airport closed at 4:30 a.m. when the fog, the heaviest this year, developed. "The visibility was less than 10 meters, far below the minimum 500 meters required for take off," said airport spokesman Lu Junming.

Lu said 485 flights were scheduled Sunday and most would be delayed for at least four hours.

"Some of the flights have taken off, but we don't expect to clear the backlog till late tonight."

The fog also led to full or partial closures of expressways linking Chengdu and the cities of Mianyang, Nanchong, Dujiangyan, Ya'an. The traffic gradually began to move at 11 a.m., according to the provincial communications department.

Downtown Chengdu was still covered by fog at 1 p.m. and airport authorities said more fog was expected Monday because of humid conditions.

Shuangliu airport is one of the busiest transport and distribution centers in southwest China.

The airport was closed for six and a half hours on December 16 by fog, delaying hundreds of flights and stranding more than 10,000 passengers.