Lightning strikes runway

Taipei - Taipei's Songshan airport was briefly closed after its sole runway was hit by lightning, delaying 25 flights, an official said on Sunday.

The strike on Saturday afternoon left a hole of about 70cm long and 50cm wide. Authorities closed the transport hub for just under two hours after being alerted to the damage by an airport worker.

"Twenty-five flights to and from the airport, 20 of them on domestic routes, were delayed before the damage was fixed at 20:10," a Civil Aeronautics Administration official told AFP.

Around 3 500 passengers were affected, he said.

- SAPA/News24