Snowstorm hits traffic in Istanbul; straits closed, flights canceled
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A snowstorm forced the closure of Turkey's key shipping straits and sweeping flight cancellations on Saturday, while hazardous roads left many drivers stranded overnight in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people.
Turkish Airlines canceled hundreds of flights in and out of the city's main Ataturk airport and state-run Anadolu news agency said dozens of planes were diverted to other airports because of the heavy snowfall, which began on Friday evening. About 6,000 of its passengers were transferred to hotels on Friday evening due to the cancellations and 20,000 meals were distributed to those stranded at the airport, Anadolu said. Pegasus Airlines canceled some 200 flights in and out of Sabiha Gokcen airport, on the Asian side of the city.
The snow reached a depth of as much as 40 cm (16 inches) in some outlying areas of Istanbul and thousands of council personnel worked through the night to keep roads in the city open, the municipality said.
