A dense fog made more than 6,000 passengers stranded at Urumqi International Airport in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with the delay of over 50 flights on Monday, the airport authority said.

The city was shrouded by a heavy fog beginning early Monday morning and all incoming and outgoing flights had been delayed.

The airport resumed operation after the fog became thin at around 3 p.m., but the operation would not become normal until late Monday night, according to the airport authority.

(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2006)