Heavy snowfall blanketed large tracts of Denmark as well as southern Sweden and southern Norway overnight causing chaotic traffic conditions and disrupting plane and train services, dpa reported. Scandinavian Airlines said at least 73 flights were cancelled Thursday from Copenhagen's Kastrup airport, and passengers were advised to be prepared for delays. Danish home guard units were deployed and had to use all-terrain vehicles to aid stranded motorists and even some snow-ploughs were stranded on the ring-roads around Copenhagen. Danish authorities advised people to stay at home and many schools were closed. Similar warnings were issued for south-western Sweden by police and the Swedish Road Administration. Some 180 traffic accidents were registered overnight in southern Sweden but there were no fatalities. Local train services were also affected but some services were expected to resume later Thursday as the snowfall ceased. In southern Norway police early Thursday banned all traffic on the E18 motorway between the towns of Kristianstad and Grimstad to allow snow-ploughs access to clear the drifts. Several hundred motorists were stranded overnight and were forced to spend 10 to 12 hours in their vehicles, police told Norwegian media. The Red Cross and civil defence were asked to help distribute food and fuel to the stranded motorists.
