German authorities urge people to stay home amid deadly winter weather

Authorities in western Germany on Tuesday urged residents to stay home, warning of life-threatening danger, after a burst of winter weather led to hazardous roads, leaving two people dead.

The sudden onset of winter led to several accidents and people being trapped in their vehicles due to slippery roads and fallen branches caused by snowfall in many parts of Germany.

In the Schwaebisch Hall district in Baden-Wuerttemberg, a 71-year-old man died as a result of a collision on a snowy road on Monday evening. According to police in Aalen, the driver lost control of the vehicle and drove into the oncoming lane.

Another black ice accident caused the death of a 54-year-old driver near Denzerheide in Rhineland-Palatinate.

In Rheingau-Taunus district in the west of Hesse, 100 people were evacuated from their vehicles near Eltville-Martinsthal, while 70 people were trapped on the road near Linienbad.

“My urgent appeal: Be sure to stay at home on Tuesday. Please do not go for walks in the forest either: there is an acute danger to life from broken branches and falling trees,” said the district’s administrator in a statement.

The German Meteorological Service (DWD) forecasts snow and sleet again in many federal states today, adding that the weather will persist in the coming days.