MADRID (SPAIN) – As many as two people died in a blizzard in Spain as troops scrambled to rescue motorists trapped by snow caused by Storm Filomena across the country. Madrid is witnessing the heaviest snowing in decades.
A woman lost her life after she was trapped in her vehicle when a river burst its banks near Malaga and a homeless person froze to death in Calatayud, according to officials.
“Let’s avoid travel and follow the instructions of the emergency services,” tweeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. “Let’s be extremely careful in the face of the storm #Filomena.”
Aena, which controls the country’s airports, said Madrid’s Barajas airport, which closed on Friday night, would remain closed for the rest of Saturday.
The State Metereological Agency said it was the biggest snowfall in Madrid since 1971, while José Miguel Viñas, a metereologist from Spanish National Radio, said that between 25 cm and 50 cm (10-20 inches) fell in Madrid, making it the largest snowfall since 1963.