On November 24, a cold front accompanied by the first major snowstorm of this winter hit Germany, leaving serious consequences on the first day of the week.
The sudden change in weather has made traffic conditions extremely dangerous, killing at least 4 people and injuring many others.
The focus of this traffic disaster is in the southern Bavaria state, where heavy snowfall combined with deep drop temperatures have created layers of black ice on the road.
Local police reported a series of catastrophic accidents involving 2 trucks and 1 car. Due to slippery road conditions, the vehicles lost control and collided strongly, killing 3 people on the spot. The incident also left 2 others in critical condition and many injured people had to be taken to the emergency room.
Also in the southern part, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, another tragedy has occurred due to the freezing road. A 68-year-old man died after his car lost control on a slippery road and crashed head-on into another vehicle. The driver of the second car was also seriously injured.
Not only causing death, snowstorms also cause widespread traffic chaos. In the central state of Hesse, police have had to handle more than 30 weather-related accidents overnight from the night of November 23 to the morning of November 24. The snow fell all night, covering the roads, leaving drivers unable to react, leading to dozens of collisions and injuring 9 people.
In the capital Berlin, people have also witnessed the first snowfall of the winter. Although the scenery is described as beautiful, it comes with major safety risks. Several other states across the country have also reported scattered incidents and disruptions to both road and railway traffic.
The German weather agency (DWD) has issued a warning that weather conditions will continue to be challenging in the coming hours. Freezing and frost is forecast in many areas in the evening, especially in the central to southern regions and the Alps. Experts recommend that people limit going out if not necessary and need to equip winter tires when traveling to avoid unfortunate accidents.
