The authorities in Madrid are running frantically to get rid of the weekend’s heavy snowstorm in the Spanish capital, in a race against falling temperatures.
Four people died on Friday and Saturday, when up to 50 centimeters of snow fell on the city and its surroundings – including two who died frozen, the BBC said in a report on Monday.
Authorities fear the cold will freeze snow piles in the city and create even more dangerous conditions.
With the temperature now dropping below 20 degrees overnight, the Spanish government has stepped up the cleanup – sending about 3,500 tonnes of road salt to the capital.
Spanish authorities have also sent police officers to escort trains to ensure that 300,000 coronavirus vaccines are delivered in the city, despite the winter storm.
Some 700 major roads in and around Madrid remained blocked, the BBC said.
The snowstorm was the worst to hit Spain since a 1971 blizzard that fell up to 50 centimeters of snow across the country.