A series of traffic accidents in Shanghai city this week have killed at least 13 people and injured nearly 40 due to the bad weather - thick fog and rain. The police advised local drivers to drive carefully and slowly for the disadvantageous weather will last for another several days.

On Monday morning, the city witnessed the most serious fog this year with the road visibility under 200 meters. Three expressways were blocked temporarily while flights and ferries were delayed.

The fog, which originated in the Pudong area, covered almost all the city, causing the Central Meteological Station to issue a "fog red alarm" at 5:48 AM. The thick fog dispersed at nearly 9 AM, according to the Shanghai Morning Post.

Cai Xiaogang, the chief meteologist in the station, explained that the frequent occurrence of thick fog was due to the high atmospherical pressure that was passing over the city, a normal weather condition at this time of year.

The climbing temperature, increasing humidity and weak wind have caused the thick fog. The condition will linger in the city until rain comes with the arrival of a low atmospherical trough.

Fatal accidents

The first and most serious traffic accident happened Monday at about 6:30 AM on an unfinished road near the A30 Expressway in Fengxian District south of the city.

A cargo van from east China's Zhejiang Province slammed into a truck with 24 passengers which suddenly veered into the oncoming lane.

All the passengers on the truck were women aged 43 to 71 years. The truck driver as well as nine passengers died in the accident and another 14 injured were sent to the nearby Fengxian Central Hospital.

Several passengers in severe conditions were then transferred to the downtown's No 6 People's Hospital. Medical experts from the hospital said that they were still in critical condition.

Both vehicles were traveling at speeds that exceeded safety due to the poor visibility, police said. The truck was clocked at over 40 kph.

"I didn't know what happened at all before I was thrown far away," recalled survivor Gu Miying. Her right leg and pelvis were broken in the accident.

All the women were from Yaojia Village of Qingcun Town in Fengxian, part-time workers for Shanghai Julong Greenland Development Company. The truck was carrying too many passengers.

The unfinished road should be a one-way road. But due to the busy vehicle flow, the road has been temporarily divided into a two-way with a yellow line in the center.

On the same morning, a truck collided with a packed bus on the No 320 National Highway in Jinshan District, killing two and injuring 17. Again, the thick fog was blamed for the accident.

On Tuesday afternoon a middle-sized truck pushed a car under a container van it was following on the Yangpu Bridge in Puxi. No information was available regarding deaths or injuries at press time.

In the early morning of Wednesday two accidents happened in Xupu Bridge. An oil truck bumped into the railing of the bridge and almost fell into the river. Only 20 meters away, a two-vehicle collision left two dead and five injured.

Safe driving advise

The Traffic Police General Squad of Shanghai Public Security Bureau advise drivers to pay high attention to safe driving because November is a peak month for traffic accidents.

Drivers are advised to listen to the weather forecast everyday before driving. They should choose the best time for driving and avoid the rather dangerous period of thick fog in the early morning.

Drivers should be alert for unexpected situations. Driving at a moderate speed is very important, but switching lanes and passing other vehicles are risky.

Drivers should also keep their front window clean to ensure good visibility and use lights including the anti-fog lights and emergency flashers to warn other drivers.

(Shanghai Star November 19, 2004)