Heavy snow in South Africa

[Mark]

Snowfall blocks main highways, traps people in their cars, two people found frozen to death.

Heavy snow in South Africa has triggered closure of two of its main highways linking the capital Pretoria and nearby Johannesburg in the north to Cape Town in the south, the local Road Traffic Management reports.

According to the officials, there are no alternative bypass routes.

Forecasters warn that the snowfall is likely to continue throughout the day.

The country has been gripped by freezing weather with rain and snowfall in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the Free State.

Poor visibility, heavy rain and snowfall has seen disaster management teams having their hands full trying to assist motorists stuck on the roads.

Dozens of trucks were stuck on the routes overnight after heavy snow closed them down.

Spokesperson for the RTMC, Ashraf Ismail, said the N1 between Beaufort West and Richmond and the N12 between Beaufort West and Victoria West remained closed on Sunday because of the heavy snowfall.

Motorists who forced their way found themselves stuck and could not move. Most spent the night in vehicles.

A 69-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman were found frozen on separate roads in the Eastern Cape province Sunday morning, police spokesman Mzukisi Fatyela told Sapa news agency.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Snow-traps-motorists-in-cars-20120715

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