At least two people have died and 19 were injured following traffic accidents caused by heavy fog which continues to cloak provinces in east, north and central China.

The accidents happened on highways in northeast China's Shaan'xi Province and east China's Anhui Province.

All highways were closed and over 20 flights were suspended in east China's Zhejiang Province on Tuesday. Traffic was disrupted in central China's Henan Province, and in Jiangsu and Anhui in east China.

Navigation is banned on parts of the Yangtze River as visibility has dropped to less than 50 meters.

The fog had caused highways to be closed and flights cancelled on Monday in the northern port city of Tianjin, in Shaan'xi and Ningxia in northwest China and Henan and Hubei in central China.

The fog is expected to lift on Dec. 28, according to meteorological authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency December 26, 2006)