An estuary of the Yellow River froze on Thursday due to strong gales and cold air that held east China in an icy grip.

On Monday afternoon, the frozen section of the estuary that flows into east China's Bohai Bay covered more than 3 kilometers on the 5,464-km river, China's second longest.

The ice cap on the river surface in the estuary measured 3 to 4 cm, with the river current running at 503 cubic meters per second.

Dongying City in Shandong Province, where the estuary is located, has embarked on an emergency ice flood control mechanism to ensure the safety of life and property.

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2005)