France: Intense snowfall and icy conditions have caused widespread disruption across Europe, leaving at least six people dead and thousands of travellers stranded as flights and train services were cancelled across multiple countries.
Five fatalities were reported in France due to treacherous driving conditions, while one woman was killed in Sarajevo after heavy snow caused a tree to collapse. Authorities warned that disruption is likely to continue as severe weather persists.
In France, three people died in two separate incidents in the Landes region in the south-west after vehicles skidded on black ice, according to local authorities. Two more people were killed in separate road accidents in the Paris region.
One incident involved a collision between a car and a heavy goods vehicle in eastern Paris, while another victim died after a taxi slid on snow, hit a kerb and plunged into the Marne river. The Balkans were also hit by severe winter weather. In Bosnia’s capital Sarajevo, around 40cm of snow fell, and police said a woman died after being struck by a tree weighed down by wet snow.
Air travel across Europe was heavily affected. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major hubs, including Paris and Amsterdam. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said further snowfall was expected, urging people to limit road travel and work from home where possible.
France’s national weather service announced that 38 districts would be placed on orange alert for snow and black ice on January 7, with numerous train services cancelled. At Paris’s Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, authorities said 40 percent of flights would be cancelled for several hours to allow snow clearance on runways. Orly airport also planned to cancel around a quarter of its flights during the same period.
In the Netherlands, more than 400 flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on January 7, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Dutch airline KLM said many of the cancelled services were operated by the carrier and warned it was close to running out of de-icing fluid due to extreme weather and supply delays.
Travellers at Schiphol reported long queues and limited information, with airline help desks overwhelmed. A further 600 outbound flights scheduled for January 7 were also cancelled, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Rail travel was also disrupted. All train services in the Netherlands were briefly halted due to an IT outage, with delays and cancellations continuing throughout the day. Eurostar services between Amsterdam and Paris were either cancelled or running late.
Airport and transport authorities across Europe said crews were working around the clock to clear snow and restore services. Still, they warned passengers to expect ongoing delays as severe winter conditions continue.
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