Snow affects Beijing travel

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Air and road traffic in Beijing has been disrupted after snowfall on Thursday evening and into Friday.

Two expressway sections near Beijing were closed after snow fell from around 7 p.m. on Thursday, and the Beijing Meteorological Station issued its lowest-level alert for heavy snow.

At Beijing Capital International Airport, where the visibility was reduced to 1,200 meters on Friday morning, the snowy weather had resulted in the cancellation of 51 flights by 8:50 a.m., with another 22 delayed, according to the airport.

As of 8 a.m. on Friday, snowfall in urban areas reached on average 4.7 mm, and snow in some areas reached 2 to 5 cm, according to data provided by the station.

Some primary schools received a circular from education authorities that they should close by noon to reduced the strain on traffic.

Snow also hit Beijing's nearby provinces and cities. In Shandong Province, 60 expressway toll gates were closed on Friday because of snow.

Elsewhere, at least three people were killed and several others injured at around 8:50 a.m. on Friday in a pile-up involving more than 10 vehicles on a snow-coated section of the expressway from the provincial capital of Jinan to Guangzhou in Pingyin County, according to provincial traffic management authorities.

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