Turkey Blizzard: Flights Suspended, Private Vehicles Banned, 4,600 Residents Stranded On Roads

JAKARTA - Flights were suspended for a second day at Istanbul Airport and private vehicles were banned from city streets on Tuesday, as heavy snowfall disrupted traffic and left people stranded in Turkey.

Snowfall began last weekend and has increased in recent days in the city of 16 million people. Footage from the airport, among the largest in the world, shows the runway covered in thick snow with planes and vehicles barely visible.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya took the rare step of banning private cars until 1pm local time, when emergency teams cleared the streets, while many public workers were given administrative leave to minimize travel.

A video posted on social media showed a man skiing through city streets on Monday night, with people waving as he passed. Deep in Turkey's south, it's snowing on the coast of the resort city of Antalya for the first time in 29 years.

Istanbul Airport said on its website that flight operations had been suspended until 1pm local time on Tuesday, due to bad weather conditions. Airline Turkish Airlines said on Monday that it had canceled all flights from the airport.

Footage shared by the governor showed trucks and cars stranded along highways in and around the city.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said 55,000 tonnes of salt had been used on the roads, with him asking Turks to clear snow in front of homes and shops to help emergency teams.

"We hope that if we deal with this tonight with action as well, we won't have any more problems. May God protect everyone," he said as quoted by Reuters on January 25.

To note, across the country some 4,600 people are stranded on the roads and elsewhere, and thousands have been placed in temporary housing, the Disaster and Emergency Authority said.