Blizzards wreak havoc in Urumqi
Updated: 2012-12-24 00:29
By Shao Wei in Urumqi (China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Icy winds and snow strand around 150 drivers at entrance of highway
A paralyzing blizzard hit Urumqi over the weekend, causing traffic pile-ups and road closures throughout the northwestern city.
Around 150 drivers were stranded in icy winds for more than 12 hours on Saturday at the entrance of the highway from the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to the northern city of Kuitun.
Akbar Abdu, a truck driver, said he was too cold to speak when he finally saw rescuers early on Sunday morning.
"I stayed in the truck from Saturday noon till 3 am the next day.
"I had to stop because the snow made visibility difficult, and as the temperature dropped I had no choice but to wait for help."
Guo Baojun, a 40-year-old driver, said his "whole body was numb" when rescuers came.
"It's scary to drive on snow-covered roads when gales blow. The snow buried car wheels quickly. It was -31 C in the evening, fatally cold."
Shu Haiqiang, a rescuer from the Urumqi firefighting corps of Xinjiang police authorities, said: "The heavy snow and powerful winds made driving perilous.
"On Saturday afternoon, the highway was blocked with about 40 vehicles. Till midnight, more than 130 vehicles were trapped there.
"We asked drivers to come to our car, and we prepared coats and hot water for them."
The 150 drivers at the highway entrance were finally moved to safety, while their vehicles remained where they were, waiting for the snow to be cleared, Shu said.
Meanwhile, in the city's southern suburbs about 200 people were left stranded in the blizzard.
On Sunday morning, the local government sent 50 rescuers out into the storm to pick up stranded drivers and passengers, and dig out vehicles from 1-meter-high snowdrifts in places.
In Altay prefecture, in northern Xinjiang, there were record snowfalls last week, according to its local meteorological department.
Qiu Xingxing, the owner of a hostel in Hemu in Kanas scenic spot of Altay, said: "The snow in the mountains reached 1.5 meters deep. I traveled to Hemu village and spent six hours driving, while it usually takes four hours.
"We are used to heavy snow and low temperatures in Altay. But this winter is colder than before, and fewer tourists are coming."
Meanwhile, the cold front has also been affecting Turpan, a tourist city 230 km from Urumqi, normally famous for its scorching temperatures in summer.
Contact the writer at shaowei@chinadaily.com.cn
Relief reaches isolated village
Rainfall poses new threats to quake-hit region
Funerals begin for Boston bombing victims
Quake takeaway from China's Air Force
Obama celebrates young inventors at science fair
Earth Day marked around the world
Volunteer team helping students find sense of normalcy
Ethnic groups quick to join rescue efforts
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
Today's Top News
Health new priority for quake zone
Xi meets US top military officer
Japan's boats driven out of Diaoyu
China mulls online shopping legislation
Bird flu death toll rises to 22
Putin appoints new ambassador to China
Japanese ships blocked from Diaoyu Islands
Inspired by Guan, more Chinese pick up golf
US Weekly
![]()
|
![]()
|