An airport in Russia's Far East has had to remain closed for 10 hours more than promised after a fierce blizzard covered its runway in 40 centimeters of snow, stranding more than 1,000 passengers.
The Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport will be closed until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday (11 a.m. Moscow time) as workers clear the air strip, the airport said on its website. The airport had previously said it would open at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning.
"The runway is covered in a 40-centimeter layer of packed snow. Cleaning operations are currently being carried out without rest and with the use of all necessary equipment," the statement said.
The airport said Wednesday that 1,100 passengers were awaiting departure while another 660 people were waiting to arrive.
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