542 passengers evacuated in Xinjiang blizzard

URUMQI - Rescuers have evacuated 542 passengers to safety after they were trapped in a blizzard in northwest China's 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, said a local highway official who participated in the 13-hour rescue operation.

All the stranded passengers and 145 vehicles they rode were evacuated to safety late night on Saturday.

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