China's Ministry of Transport (MOT) has called for efforts to reduce accidents caused by sea ice following recent frequent cold waves to ensure safe and smooth navigation on the sea and operation at ports.

The icing situation in the Bohai Sea and northern regions of the Huanghai Sea, resulting from frequent cold snaps since December, has become more severe compared with previous years, threatening the security of passing ships, said Li Shenglin, minister with MOT, on Saturday.

In the waters near Liaodong Bay and Laizhou Bay, floating ice was reported in an area of 220 to 250 sq km, with ice thickness measuring more than 50 cm, posing a threat to ship navigation, anchoring and operations at ports, Li said.

He urged maritime affairs departments at all levels to intensify monitoring on icing conditions and improve contingency measures to cope with possible emergencies.

To date, local maritime departments have launched 240 ice-breaking operations and rescued 40 people trapped by sea ice.

Some ships were having trouble reaching the port at Tianjin - the port for China's capital, Beijing, and the third largest in the country, China Central Television said. Footage showed ships on the Bohai Gulf working to keep shipping lanes open.

"So far, everything is under control," Ou Yonglin, spokesman of the port, told China Daily yesterday.

The region was hit by its worst winter weather in decades over the past week, including Beijing's coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951.

In 2008, the Tianjin port was among the top 15 in the world in container handling, according to the website of its operator, Tianjin Port Development Holdings Ltd. The port, 100 km southeast of Beijing, has a sprawling export zone designed to spur the region's growth.

The sea ice along the coast of the Bohai Gulf was the most serious in 30 years, China National Radio reported Saturday afternoon.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily 01/11/2010 page3)