NTDTV China: Sandstorm Blasts Areas of Xinjiang

In far-western China, strong winds swept a fierce sandstorm into Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture on Friday. It lowered visibility to zero in some areas, state-run Chinese local media reported.

[Hotan Resident]:
"In the ten or so years that I have lived here I have never seen such strong wind."

State-run Xinhua news agency quoted a local government official saying that the sandstorm could have affected crops.

The thick orange haze cast by the sandstorm forced drivers to turn on their headlights and keep a careful eye on their speedometer, one driver said.

[Hotan Resident]:
"The wind is really powerful today. It’s very difficult to drive. We all have our car lights on the road and drive very slowly. I came from the airport today and it took me an hour to get there."

A local weather official predicts the sandstorm will continue until March 16.