Abundant snowfall in Western Europe has caused major disruptions to road and rail traffic. Most problems were reported in Germany and France, according to DPA.
Emergency services in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany were called upon to assist in over 380 weather-related incidents within an 18-hour period, as announced by the German Police on Friday.
According to a Police spokesperson, at least 30 people were injured, most with minor injuries, and the recorded material damages exceed one million euros.
The most severely affected cities are Freiburg and Constance, where the Police were called upon to assist in approximately 135-140 weather-related interventions from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, law enforcement authorities announced.
In neighboring France, around 1,750 trucks were stranded on highways, with the most affected regions being Burgundy and Normandy, as stated by the French Minister of Transport, François Durovray, in an interview with BFMTV.
Hundreds of heavy vehicles were stuck on challenging road sections after drivers ignored weather-related restrictions. Many were forced to spend the night in their vehicles.
Rail traffic was also disrupted in France, and 200,000 households were left without electricity due to the weather, according to the electricity company Enedis.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was temporarily closed to visitors after a significant snowfall.