Iran Press/ Asia: Rare heavy snowfall in the Mediterranean had emergency services scrambling on Tuesday to rescue people stranded in their cars, some for more than 20 hours, and caused transportation chaos and power outages in Turkey.
In Istanbul, thousands of people were also stuck on snowy roads as the storm paralyzed traffic and disrupted flights. At the airport, the roof of a hangar collapsed under the weight of the snow, and all operations were stopped until midday Tuesday.
Some Istanbul Airport flights resumed on Tuesday after nearly 24 hours of cancellations as heavy snowfall clogged roads and stranded thousands of people across Turkey.
Cars and trucks were also abandoned on the main arteries of Istanbul, causing gridlock. People took shelter in nearby mosques and in hotels. Some 3,000 people were trapped in a shopping mall, with many sleeping on the floor and the Turkish Red Crescent supplying food, television news showed. Universities were shut into next week.
At the Istanbul airport, where hundreds of passengers spent Monday night, frustration turned to protests. Dozens of passengers chanted, saying they needed a hotel, in videos shared on social media. 219
