More than 200 people and 30 vehicles have been rescued after being stranded for eight hours by a snowstorm in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Sunday.

Gales and snow reduced visibility to just 15 meters and paralyzed part of the No. 216 National Highway in Altay region at about 4:00 AM, forcing traffic to stop.

Local traffic police sent ten rescuers and six digging machines to the site after receiving calls from the stranded people.

All the people had been taken to a safe places by noon Sunday, and none were suffering frostbite.

Workers are clearing the snow despite the storm.

The snowstorm, which started to pelt the northern part of Xinjiang Saturday night, also brought snowfall of up to 50 cm to a section of the No. 312 National Highway in Ili prefecture, forcing it to close early Sunday morning.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2010)