Heavy snowfall wreaks chaos in southern Germany

Munich [Germany], December 3: Heavy overnight snowfall paralysed transport connections in the southern German state of Bavaria on Saturday morning, leaving thousands of travellers stranded, some of them on trains halted by the weather front.
Other parts of the country also experienced heavy snow and ice, with conditions expected to deteriorate further on Saturday night. At least one person died as a result of the condition when a car skidded and collided with a van.
Winter services were working to restore safe operations at Munich Airport, where flights were suspended until 6 am (0500 GMT) on Sunday. Passengers due to travel on Sunday were advised to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.
A Lufthansa spokesman said the closure of air traffic in Munich would have an impact on other airports. For example, there are also significant restrictions in Frankfurt.
Rail transport was also affected, particularly around Munich, as fallen trees blocked tracks and overhead lines were iced over.
Train services to and from Munich Central Station were initially cancelled, including connections with the Austrian cities of Salzburg and Innsbruck. Passengers in Ulm and Munich had to spend the night on immobilized trains.
Services in southern Germany were expected to remain severely disrupted until Monday, a railway spokeswoman told DPA.
Underground trains,buses and trams also initially stopped running in the Bavarian capital.
Source: Qatar Tribune