URUMQI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Most of the 4,000 passengers who had been stranded for two days at an airport in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region due to lingering fog have departed, an airport spokesman said on Monday.

    Between 400 and 600 passengers were still waiting for their delayed flights at 8:15 p.m. at the Urumqi International Airport in the regional capital, the spokesman said, adding they would all depart within hours.

    Heavy fog has blanketed the city since Sunday, leading to the cancellation and delay of more than 200 flights.

    Visibility at the airport improved to 200 meters on Monday morning from 20 meters on Sunday, but that was still below the standard of 550 meters for taking off and 800 meters for landing.

    The fog dissipated at 12:30 a.m. and then flights resumed. Sixty flights had departed and 54 flights had arrived by 8:15 p.m., the spokesman added.

    The delayed passengers were being supplied with meals at the airport.

    Earlier, airport sources said more than 2,000 passengers were stranded on Monday morning, but they raised the figure to 4,000 after recalculation.