Sunday, December 28, 2014

Heavy Snow in French Alps has 15,000 vehicles left stranded

Heavy Snow in French Alps has 15,000 vehicles left stranded

Tourists heading to the mountains for the holiday skiing season were trapped in the snowstorm, as some even broke into a nearby exhibition center for shelter. Other tourists are trapped at airports or cannt leave their accomodation until the snow clears.

 
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
 
Sunday, December 28, 2014, 10:34 AM
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Traffic bound for French Alpine ski resorts moves slowly along the highway in the direction of Moûtiers from Albertville early on December 28, 2014 .JEAN PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/GETTY IMAGESTraffic bound for French Alpine ski resorts moves slowly along the highway in the direction of Moûtiers from Albertville early on December 28, 2014 .
Up to 15,000 vehicles have been stranded in the French Alps by heavy snow.
Thousands of people have been trapped in their cars and some desperate motorists were even forced to break into an exhibition center to seek shelter,reported Le Dauphine newspaper.
One man was killed as his car skidded off a road near Chambery and fell more than 600 feet, as long-waited snow finally fell on the Alps, reported The Telegraph.
Snow fell up to several feet in some places.
Among those trapped were many tourists as the region gears up for the holiday skiing season.
Heavy snowfall in the French Alps left some 15,000 drivers stranded overnight, forcing many to pass the night in their cars and prompting officials to open emergency shelters.
Heavy snowfall in the French Alps left some 15,000 drivers stranded overnight, forcing many to pass the night in their cars and prompting officials to open emergency shelters.
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  • Traffic bound for French Alpine ski resorts moves slowly along the highway in the direction of Moûtiers from Albertville early on December 28, 2014 . Heavy snowfall in the French Alps left some 15,000 drivers stranded overnight, forcing many to pass the night in their cars and prompting officials to open emergency shelters. The snow and ice hit as a rush of holidaymakers were heading to and leaving from ski resorts in the Savoie region in southeastern France, where authorities set up shelters in at least 12 towns. AFP PHOTO / Jean-Pierre ClatotJEAN PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/Getty Images
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  • Traffic bound for French Alpine ski resorts moves slowly along the highway in the direction of Moûtiers from Albertville early on December 28, 2014 . Heavy snowfall in the French Alps left some 15,000 drivers stranded overnight, forcing many to pass the night in their cars and prompting officials to open emergency shelters. The snow and ice hit as a rush of holidaymakers were heading to and leaving from ski resorts in the Savoie region in southeastern France, where authorities set up shelters in at least 12 towns. AFP PHOTO / Jean-Pierre ClatotJEAN PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/Getty Images
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JEAN PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Some tourists were also trapped at airports, unable to leave the building to get to their destination because of the road chaos.
Other skiers who arrived before the large snowfalls were snowed in at their accommodation.
The French government has asked drivers to "exercise the utmost caution" as heavy snow is expected to continue for the next few days.
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