The Spanish government has called on its citizens to stay in their homes after at least three people were killed in an unusual snowstorm, the worst to hit the country in the past 50 years.
Storm Filmona brought 50 centimeters of snow to the Spanish capital and paralyzed traffic in large parts of it. At least one homeless man in the city died as a result of hypothermia and many others were injured in similar circumstances and hospitalized in the city.
The airport in Rahas in Madrid was closed to flights and train traffic to the city and from there was completely stopped. Troops from the rescue units and the local Ministry of Transportation worked into the night in order to rescue drivers who were stuck on the highways around the city. 1,500 drivers were rescued safely and 650 roads were closed to traffic across Spain.
“The situation is serious and can no longer be ignored. I want to emphasize the importance of staying home in such dangerous moments and obeying the instructions of the authorities. Even when the storm subsides, another severe cold wave is expected to endanger the population,” said Spanish Transport Minister Luis Abelos.
In the shadow of the great risk to human life, many citizens in the Spanish capital took advantage of the large amount of snow for various games and amusements on the city streets and documented the Arctic conditions on social media. One man, a resident of the city of Madrid, appeared on the streets driving a dog sled, others contented themselves with snowball fights and building snowmen.