Ostrava/Jesenik, North Moravia/Bratislava, April 20 (CTK) – Snow and strong wind complicated traffic in the Czech Republic, mainly in north Moravia, where a number of roads were completely closed, as well as in the mountain areas of the neighbouring Slovakia on Thursday.
On some other roads, lorries and cars with summer tyres got stuck in heavy snowdrifts and slowed down the traffic or blocked roads completely.
A snow- and windstorm complicated the work of firefighters and rescuers who assisted in a chain accident on a motorway near Poprad, east Slovakia, at the foothills of the High Tatras, the highest mountain range in the country, yesterday morning.
Up to 40 vehicles collided in the pile up. Twenty-four people were injured, while two of them suffered serious injuries, rescuers said.
In the Czech Republic, the worst situation was in the vicinity of Bruntal where snowfalls continued from Wednesday until this morning and there were up to one-meter snow barriers somewhere.
However, it stopped snowing during the day.
Moreover, the situation on Moravian roads was complicated by strong wind.
Road operators were trying to clean snow on Thursday. Even snow-ploughs were deployed on some roads, which is quite unusual at this time of the year.
Since Wednesday morning, firefighters have set off more than 100 times mainly to extricate buses as well as other vehicles that got stuck in snowdrifts. They also provided shelter and warm drinks for some passengers.
Several roads had to be closed in the vicinity of Opava and Novy Jicin and in the Jeseniky Mountains as well.
A snow layer covered some roads in the Krkonose (Giant Mountains), north and east Bohemia, and in other mountainous areas in the country.
In the South Moravia Region, firefighters were removing fallen trees and branches from roads, caused by a windstorm.
