Heavy fog causes flight delays in Xinjiang

A heavy fog blanketed Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Thursday morning, delaying dozens of flights and stranding more than 1,000 passengers. Forty-six flights were delayed as of 10:30 a.m., including 27 planned takeoffs and 19 arrivals, the airport authority said in a press release. Some inbound flights were forced to land at the Turpan, Kashi and Dunhuang airports, it said. More than 1,000 passengers were stranded at the airport as of 11 a.m. and there have been no signs of an immediate clear-up, the press release said. The local weather bureau said the fog began at 3 a.m. and visibility at the airport was around 100 meters.