Snow Strands Travelers at Start of Chinese New Year Getaway

Rare snow in central China has disrupted the country's Lunar New Year travel rush, which involves millions of people and is considered the largest annual human migration.

Travelers faced flight delays and cancelations after heavy snow fell in central Hubei province Sunday and closed down the airport in the city of Wuhan. According to the airport's website, 67 flights were canceled Sunday and a trickle of flights were delayed or canceled Monday because of the bad weather. The official Xinhua News Agency said at least 2,000 people were stranded at the airport.

Sunday's closure of the airport had a knock-on effect on rail travel, as more people flocked to train stations. But the snow slowed down trains, with an average delay of up to 50 minutes, Xinhua reported.

One expressway linking Hubei with Jiangxi province to its south had traffic at a standstill for a stretch of about 3 kilometers (2 miles). Four major expressways in Jiangsu province were closed, Xinhua said.

Rare snow in central China has disrupted the country's Lunar New Year travel rush, which involves millions of people and is considered the largest annual human migration.
Travelers faced flight delays and cancelations after heavy snow fell in central Hubei province Sunday and closed down the airport in the city of Wuhan. According to the airport's website, 67 flights were canceled Sunday and a trickle of flights were delayed or canceled Monday because of the bad weather. The official Xinhua News Agency said at least 2,000 people were stranded at the airport.

Sunday's closure of the airport had a knock-on effect on rail travel, as more people flocked to train stations. But the snow slowed down trains, with an average delay of up to 50 minutes, Xinhua reported.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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