Gusts Close Down Chinese Railway

High winds forced the closure of a railway in north-western China today as winds of up to 117km/h (73mph) swept over parts of the railway.

More than eight trains with thousands of passengers leaving Urumqi in the Xinjiang region were cancelled according to the Chinese Xinhua news agency.

In February, a sandstorm with hurricane-force gusts derailed a train in the same area, killing at least three people and injuring thirty others.

Reported by staff writer