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Fog strands 10,000 passengers in SW China airport

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-09 20:28

CHENGDU -- At least 10,000 passengers were stranded in an airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday after a thick fog affected 103 flights.

Visibility in the Shuangliu International Airport in this provincial capital dropped to 200 meters at about 7:20 am, less than the required 500 meters for taking off and 800 meters for landing, according to the airport administration.

One passenger flight from Singapore landed at a standby airport in Kunming, capital of the neighboring province of Yunnan, one outgoing domestic flight was canceled, and 101 others were delayed.

The airport resumed normal operation at about 10:16 am after the fog began to disperse.

More than 2,000 passengers were also stranded in the Taiping International Airport in Harbin City, capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China, Monday due to heavy snowfall.

Since 11:10 pm Sunday, six domestic flights were canceled, five were diverted to other cities and 19 were delayed. Flight services resumed at about 11 am Monday.

Four of the five highways in Heilongjiang were temporarily closed due to the snow.