Vehicle queues persist in China's island province
A volunteer gives out bread to people who are stranded in Haikou, Hainan Province, as a fog disrupted ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait on February 22.
Queues at three ports in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, continue as more vehicles try to cross to Guangdong Province.
More than 21,000 vehicles and 102,000 passengers were shipped to Guangdong across the Qiongzhou Strait between Thursday morning to Friday morning. But over 10,000 vehicles were still waiting at ports as of 7am on Friday, according to the local government.
Passengers are heading home after spending their Spring Festival holiday on the island. Hainan, known for its tropical climate and clean air, is a popular destination for Chinese tourists taking winter holidays.
The city's traffic authorities estimated that around 50,000 vehicles are expected to leave the ports, and the traffic jams will continue for another two days.
Shipping on the Qiongzhou Strait, between Hainan and Guangdong, was suspended on Wednesday night due to heavy fog. Ferries resumed on Thursday morning as visibility improved.
Rain and falling temperatures since Thursday afternoon have brought more worries.
The civil affairs bureau of Haikou has sent mineral water and food such as biscuits, instant noodles, steamed buns, bread and snacks to those waiting. A total of 1,700 quilts were also sent to rescue stations.
