Winter welcome: Stranded drivers freed in Istanbul, Athens

By MEHMET GUZEL and ELENA BECATOROS
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — Rescue crews in Istanbul and Athens have dug through snow and ice to clear roads that came to a standstill after snowstorms hit much of Turkey and Greece. The weather had left countless people and vehicles in both cities stranded overnight in freezing conditions. Roads around Istanbul were clogged for several hours after 80 centimeters (31 inches) of snow in some places. Stranded motorists either spent the night in cars or abandoned their vehicles to walk home. Rescue crews in Athens on Tuesday freed up to 300 drivers trapped on a major highway connecting the Greek capital with the city’s international airport. One person in Turkey and one in Greece were reported to have died in the storms.