Freezing rain causes "countless" accidents

Ambulances were called to tend to at least 600 injured people because of icy surfaces and bad weather throughout Hungary yesterday. The emergency wards of several hospitals were packed to capacity and some operations had to be postponed in order to enable doctors to tend to the many injured.

Slippery roads were blamed for 20-30 serious traffic accidents, and caused trucks and buses to slide into ditches along roads across the country. Police were unable to count the total number of accidents.

In one of the larger-scale incidents, 11 trucks slammed into one another on the M7 near Croatia early Wednesday.

Scheduled flights took off and landed at Ferihegy airport on time, but MÁV and Gysev trains were running behind schedule. Bus traffic collapsed in Zala county, leaving smaller villages there shut off from the outside world.

Classes have been cancelled in Baranya county schools today because of the adverse weather conditions.

In Budapest, BKV services were running late because of the weather and the many accidents on roads. City maintenance authorities had 400 people and 80 snowploughs working to clear roads, bridges, flyovers, sidewalks, public stairways, and health care institutions, as well as logistics centres that provide supplies to the population.

More sleet is forecast throughout Hungary today. The highest degree of alert remains in force in the southwest.

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