New snowfalls grip Britain, Ireland
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 22:20:00 02/06/2009
LONDON—Fresh snowstorms plunged parts of Britain and Ireland back into travel chaos Friday, after a week which saw the heaviest falls in nearly 20 years paralyze the country.
Some 200 cars were stranded in up to 30 centimeters (one foot) of snow overnight in Devon, southwest England, and their occupants had to be rescued by the army as well as police and others emergency workers.
More than 800 schools were closed in the west of the country, where rural areas were virtually cut off from the outside world as minor roads became impassable.
Heavy snowfalls were reported in counties north of London, while the capital itself saw flurries for the first time since Monday when it almost ground to a halt.
The two Severn bridges, linking England to south Wales, were closed for "safety reasons in the present weather conditions," a spokeswoman for the Highways Agency said.
Flights were suspended at Bristol airport in southwest England while Luton and Stansted airports north of London also saw disruption. Train services were disrupted notably in Wales and Yorkshire, northern England.
The rare heavy snowfalls -- which have lasted for five days across the country -- have led to shortages of grit to spread on roads, with some local authorities appealing for help from neighboring areas.
"Gritting routes will have to be prioritized," said a county council spokesman in Berkshire, near London.
"The district's network of secondary roads will not be re-gritted until further supplies are obtained, and roadside salt bins will not be replenished," he added.
The cold snap has killed at least one person this week -- a 16-year-old girl, who died Tuesday after being badly injured in a sledging accident in Yorkshire, northern England.
Neighboring Ireland also suffered more disruption with icy roads and delayed and cancelled flights.
Several roads south of Dublin, in the County Wicklow area, remain impassable.
The Dublin Airport Authority said snow and ice crews have been "working flat-out" to clear the runway and a number of flights have been cancelled.
But budget airline Ryanair slammed the airport authority for failing to de-ice the ramps and access routes required for fuel trucks to refuel aircraft which "resulted in delays and cancellations to many flights".
"Since early morning we have had aircraft sitting on stands but have no way of refuelling them," said Ryanair's Stephen McNamara, calling the situation "a total shambles."
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