A thick fog delayed dozens of flights and left more than 10,000 passengers stranded at an airport in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Monday.

By 6 p.m., about 120 incoming and outgoing flights at the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport had been delayed and 17 canceled, an airport spokesman said.

In addition, 41 other flights had been diverted to other airports in neighboring cities or forced to return to the departure cities.

Most of the 405 flights scheduled at the airport for Monday would be delayed, the spokesman said. Some flights would be delayed by up to 20 hours.

"The thick fog began blanketing the city on Sunday night, and it won't disperse until Tuesday morning," the spokesman said.

The airport authorities have distributed food and water to the stranded passengers, and arranged accommodation for them, he added.