Thursday 15 January 2009

Bulgarian Ice - Yambol the Ice City

Having experienced the horrendous ice yesterday, I can confirm that it was near on impossible to walk let alone drive in these conditions. Factories have closed down due to workers not being able to get there due to sheet ice roads.

Treacherous ice is covering most of Bulgaria Wednesday, the National Weather Service reports.
Click to enlarge the photo

Many roads are closed with passengers stranded in vehicles in the regions of Ruse, Pleven, Yambol, Haskovo, Gabrovo, Veliko Turnovo. The situation in the region of Vratsa is reported as extremely serious with the closure of two main roads and sections of E-79 while in the town of Montana, the Civil Defense has canceled all bus routes and a sanding machine has been involved in a traffic accident.

The slippery conditions could trigger complete traffic halts in some locations and can be risky for pedestrians. The ice can also damage power lines, accumulate on trees and roofs, which could further lead to harmful incidents.