Army called in after record snowfall

Russian soldiers have been drafted in to help clear the streets of Moscow and the surrounding region after a record snowfall which delayed flights, felled hundreds of trees, and turned some roads and pavements into an obstacle course.

More than a month’s worth of snow fell on Moscow within just 36 hours at the weekend as the temperature hovered below zero degrees Celsius. It was 55cm deep in some places and was the biggest snowfall in the city since meteorological records began.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, calling the event “the snowfall of the century”, said one person had been killed when a tree brought down electricity lines, one of over 2000 trees toppled under the weight of the snow.

At least five other people were injured in separate incidents, Sobyanin said.

The Russian military said in a statement it had sent 100 soldiers, two snowploughs and a truck to help clear the snow in one Moscow district and at a location in the Moscow region.

Children in Moscow were given the day off school when the temperature stood at -12C.

With a record 1.2 million cubic metres on snow on Moscow’s streets, authorities encouraged people to leave their cars at home and use public transport instead.

“I have just left home but have already fallen over because the snow has not been cleared from the pavements,” said Lilya Belkina, a Moscow resident. “It is very difficult to cross the road.” — Reuters