About 1,000 shipping vessels jammed a five-meter-long section of the Yangtze River near Zhenjiang City in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The waterway traffic jam near the Jianbi shiplock has lasted several days, forcing 3,000 sailors to stay idle on board, said Zhao Yongfu, deputy director of the maritime bureau of Zhenjiang.

Most of the vessels are cargo boats laden with coal heading to the southern part of Jiangsu, which is in great demand for fuel as the Spring Festival approaches.

Zhao cited low-water level at the Beijing-Hangzhou Great Canel, a major route crossing the Yangtze, as another reason for the jam.

"The approach channel of the ship lock is too short, and only about 50 vessels can let through even if the lock is open day and night," he said.

Zhao said his bureau had sent patrolling vessels to monitor and maintain order in the area.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2006)