Romanian PM Calls For Use Of Army Tanks In Snow Removal

According to Boc, southern counties Ilfov, Giurgiu and Calarasi are in a state of emergency because of heavy snowfall and blizzards. A bus carrying passengers is currently snowed in in Uzun (Giurgiu) and gendarmes are trying to reach the place, he added.

Several other cars are blocked in snow and rescue interventions are difficult as the snowdrift is three meters high in some areas, which makes roads untraceable, Boc said.

According to the prime minister, 340 people trapped in their snowed-in cars have been evacuated during the night, while some refused to abandon their cars.

Heavy snowfall and blizzards affecting more than half of Romania have led to traffic disruptions on dozens of national and county roads and have caused flight delays and cancellations.

Traffic was closed Thursday morning on 37 national roads, 80 county roads and two highways, authorities said. Sixteen flights to and from Bucharest have been cancelled because of weather conditions. Passenger trains register delays of at least one hour and 17 trains have been canceled because of the snow, said passenger railway company CFR Calatori.

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