Plunging temperatures since last Friday have led to a build-up of ice in the 340-kilometer section of the Yellow River in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The three floating bridges over the key river artery of Bayannur League blocked huge chunks of ice and were becoming increasingly hazardous to ships, according to the local flood control department.

"The floating bridges easily block ice and raise the water level, so we have decided to demolish them," said Zhang Sanhong, a local official.

According to the local meteorological station, ice emerged in the regional section of the Yellow River on November 26. The average ice density in some parts has reached 70 to 80 percent and some have been nearly closed by thick ice layers. The whole section in Bayannur League will likely be closed around December 25, said Zhang.

The yellow River is China's second longest river, which starts in Qinghai Province and flows through Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan before passing through Shandong and entering the Bohai Sea.

(China Daily December 9, 2003)