Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 29, 2004
Strong windstorm hits Inner Mongolia
An unusual strong sandstorm began sweeping Inner Mongolia Saturday afternoon, adding difficulty to the disaster relief efforts at earthquake-hit areas in the northern autonomous region.
An unusual strong sandstorm began sweeping Inner Mongolia Saturday afternoon, adding difficulty to the disaster relief efforts at earthquake-hit areas in the northern autonomous region.
The wind lashed almost the whole region with a force of fresh breeze to fresh gale, and a snowstorm is expected to hit part of the pastoral area later Sunday, according to the regional meteorological bureau.
Liu Jingtao, chief engineer of the bureau, said temperature in eastern and central Inner Mongolia fell below zero degree Celsius Saturday night. It is expected to further drop by 6-8 degrees Sunday and Monday.
Nearly 80 percent of the tents at Wenggensumu Town in Dong Ujimqin Banner (county), one of the quake-affected areas, were toppled or blown away, and the local government is organizing efforts to ship more tents to the region, said an official of the banner.
"When the wind came Saturday noon, the sky turned from blue into red and then black in the afternoon, said a local resident.
"I can see nothing outside the car as the visibility is less than 10 meters," recalled a driver.