542 passengers evacuated from blizzard in China

All the stranded passengers and their 145 vehicles were evacuated to safety on Saturday

Beijing, Nov 14: Rescuers in China have evacuated 542 passengers from their vehicles after they were trapped in a blizzard in northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The people were left stranded on highways in Maytas and Tiechanggou in northern Xinjiang by the blizzard on Friday and Saturday, which caused snow drifts 60 cm to one meter deep and low visibility, a local highway official who participated in the 13-hour rescue operation said.

All the stranded passengers and their 145 vehicles were evacuated to safety on Saturday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Maytas is known for its strong gales and blizzards, which often leave passengers stranded and force the closure of local highways.

PTI