Officials in Madrid are frantically rushing to dig out this weekend’s massive snowstorm in the Spanish capital, in a race against the falling temperature.
Four people were killed on Friday and Saturday when up to 20 inches of snow fell on the city and its environs, including two that froze to death, the BBC said in a report on Monday.
Officials fear that the cold storm will freeze the snow in the city and cause even more dangerous conditions.
With the temperature now falling below 20 degrees overnight, the Spanish government intensified the clean-up – sending about 3,500 tons of road salt to the capital.
Spanish officials have also deployed police to escort convoys to ensure 300,000 coronavirus vaccines are delivered in the city despite the winter storm.
About 700 highways in and around Madrid have been blocked, the BBC said.
The blizzard was the worst to hit Spain since a snowstorm in 1971 that dropped to 20 inches of snow across the country.