Hundreds of automobiles were blocked for more than twelve hours with temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero on the ‘Baikal‘ highway, which connects the Russian Siberian regions of Irkutsk and Buryatia, due to traffic jams caused by bad weather and traffic law violations.
“Traffic jams (mainly cargo trucks) are observed for the second day in several sections” of the highway, said the Russian agency RIA Novosti, citing a source from the Federal Directorate of Motor Roads “Yuzhni Baikal”.
The entity linked this situation to the intense snowfall, with strong gusts of wind and frosts of up to 30 degrees below zero, which are affecting the region for the third consecutive day.
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“This set of meteorological phenomena has created difficult conditions for transport on the R-258 ‘Baikal’ highway,” he said.
The local road authority indicated that they have deployed six snowplows working tirelessly and two graders, while traffic police forces have been reinforced.
“In addition to the difficult climatic situation, the traffic jams were caused by serious violations of traffic laws by heavy truck drivers who prevented snowplows from properly clearing the road,” the source explained.
According to meteorologists, this weather situation will persist until Tuesday, so the authorities called on drivers to avoid taking this route and strictly adhere to traffic regulations.
Social media has published a large number of photos and videos taken on this road.
According to the Telegram channel ‘Liudi Baikala’ (People of Baikal), some vehicles have been stranded for more than twelve hours and some are running out of fuel and water.
Some witnesses, cited by social media, commented that they had traveled barely 16 kilometers of the 85 that this road has in 13 hours.
The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, reported that traffic in both directions of the road had been unblocked and announced that “heated and fed posts” had been created along the route.
