Heavy rain strands 9,000 air passengers in Chengdu

CHENGDU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- About 9,000 passengers were stranded Saturday due to heavy rain in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, authorities said.

Rain began to hit the city around noon and lasted nearly two hours. A total of 33 flights had landed at alternative airports in Chongqing, Guiyang, Kunming, Xi'an, Mianyang, Nanchong and Yibin, as of 2:30 p.m., according to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

Some 85 outbound flights have been delayed, while another 15 flights were canceled, leaving about 9,000 passengers stranded at the airport as of 3 p.m.

Sichuan has been battered by heavy rain this summer. Meteorological authorities have warned the public to be prepared for potential disasters as the rain continues.