Freezing fog delayed flights and left 5,000 passengers stranded at an airport in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Friday.

Some 53 outbound flights were delayed as of 11 a.m. Friday, as visibility failed to meet the required level to allow take-off, according to Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang.

Three inbound flights were diverted to other cities in Xinjiang and Gansu Province, it said.

Airport authorities have activated an emergency response to handle the disruption.

Freezing fog is composed of droplets of supercooled water which freeze to surfaces on contact.

In late October, freezing fog stranded thousands of passengers and delayed more than 70 flights at the same airport.

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