Europe buried in snow

Drivers put snow socks onto their cars during a heavy snowfall at the toll stations of Malgara

Tue, February 07, 2012 - 12:31 PM

LONDON – Europe continues to be blanketed in snow as the cold snap which has so far killed hundreds across the continent shows no signs of stopping.

Hundreds of villages across Eastern Europe were cut off as temperatures plummeted in some places to -40C today.

Rescue teams struggled to evacuate southern Bulgarians where villages flooded after rain and melting snow broke dam walls.

Residents were also warned that there was more snow to come – which would be followed by severe floods when the temperature finally
starts to rise and the snow melts.

Meanwhile, temperatures in Britain are due to plummet to as low as -13C, with the big freeze due to last well into the weekend.

Around 146 towns and villages in Romania were isolated road or train connections because of blizzards. Up to 174 villages did not have electricity, said Alin Maghiar, spokeman for Romania’s emergency department.

Electricity was also cut off to 300 towns and villages in Bulgaria, roads were closed and several border checkpoints with Romania and Turkey
were shut, the Interior Ministry said.

Melting snow caused a dam wall to break and flood an entire village in southern Bulgaria.

Four people drowned and more than 50 were evacuated. Four more people died when their cars were swept away by high waters.
European Commissioner for Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva added that “the worst
is yet to come” after visiting the village.

Ukraine has been hardest hit, with 135 people confirmed dead so far and forecasters saying bitter temperatures, as low as -30C, would continue for another eight days.