Heavy snow paralyzes European side of Istanbul
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
DHA photo
Starting yesterday night, heavy snow gripped especially the European side of Istanbul, as citizens woke up to a white but paralyzed city this morning.Traffic was congested in many key points of the city, as troubles were frequently exacerbated by sporadic accidents.
One person reportedly died after slipping and falling to the ground in Fatih district.
In higher sections of the city, snow height reached half a meter. Working class districts such as Bağcılar, Esenler and Sultangazi were especially affected, while main highways such as O-2 and O-3 were also hit, despite the efforts of municipality workers.
The metrobuses, which many Istanbulites trusted to reach their jobs, were also paralyzed, as services between Küçükçekmece and more central Topkapı were halted, according to the Doğan News Agency. Buses were also unable to move in many crucial districts. Tens of thousands of citizens tried to reach their workplaces on foot.
In many locations, the situation was made worse due to citizens who failed to chain their tires.
As of this morning, nearly 180 domestic and international flights from the Istanbul Atatürk Airport were canceled. Many passengers whose flights were canceled starting from yesterday evening had to spend the night at the airport.
Due to strong northeast winds in the Marmara Sea, many seabus and fast ferry services were halted. These include ferries to an from the Yenikapı district and Bandırma, a city on the opposite side of Marmara.
