TUNIS: Heavy snow trapped around 1,000 motorists in northwest Tunisia, with heavy blizzards from Europe sweeping the Mediterranean country, the prime minister’s office said on Monday. Drifts blocked roads including a major highway in the province of Jendouba on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed’s office said.
Many motorists stayed trapped in their cars overnight, authorities and local media said.
Rescue services managed to evacuate 80 per cent of those trapped and efforts were continuing to return the others to their homes, Abdelkerim Omri, a regional infrastructure official, said on Monday, quoted in local media. The government opened 10 emergency shelters in schools and sports centres, warning the public not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
Authorities distributed food and blankets to people trapped in the “monster traffic jam” on the highway, private radio station Mosaique FM said.
Jendouba’s governor, Akram Sebri, said “considerable quantities of food and liquid gas” had been stockpiled “as a precaution”.
A delegation of ministers tried on Monday to reach the affected area but were unable to do so as all the roads were cut, said Infrastructure Minister Mohamed Salah Arfaoui. — AFP
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