ROMANIA: BLIZZARDS SWEEP ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST

Описание: (25 Nov 1998) Natural Sound

An early bout of Arctic weather has hit Romania, killing at least 24 people and burying cars under snow.

Six people froze to death in their cars after they were buried in snow drifts.

The latest deaths included three people who lost control of their cars in icy conditions.

Blizzards swept across Romania's southeast on Tuesday and temperatures plunged to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) before dawn.

Dozens of trains were cancelled and 200 communities were left without electricity.

Snow fell throughout the day in the Romanian capital, closing Baneasa airport, which handles mostly domestic flights.

Fifteen major roads were blocked by snowdrifts as high as five feet.

The army has been called in as even snow ploughs struggle to clear main roads.

About 200 people spent more than 48 hours stranded in their cars after winds whipped snowdrifts across main highways the south of the country.

Army vehicles rescued most drivers, but six people froze to death over the weekend after being trapped in their cars.

Police urged drivers not to travel in snowy areas.

Weather conditions were grimmest in the Balkan region, but the rest of the Europe also remained gripped by the cold -- one of the most severe in 40 years.

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