Dhe heavy snowfalls in southern Bavaria also pose challenges for rescue workers and aid organizations. “In some districts of southern Bavaria, the emergency services are reaching their limits despite snow chains and four-wheel drive – without the support of the mountain rescue service, it is sometimes impossible to get through,” said a spokesman for the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) on Saturday. In addition, in one district, volunteer rapid response groups were alerted to support the emergency services.
The BRK also helped evacuate trains or look after the occupants of broken down vehicles on motorways until the early hours of the morning. Another challenge for the Bavarian Red Cross in some parts of southern Bavaria is the provision of home services such as “Meals on Wheels” or “Outpatient Care”. Here, pragmatic solutions are being developed on site to ensure supplies for the population despite the difficult conditions.
“We join the call of the Upper Bavaria South Police Headquarters: Stay at home if possible! The risk of accidents is immensely increased, every avoidable journey that is forgone counts and relieves the burden on the rescue workers in the affected regions,” the statement continues.
Thousands of households without electricity
The massive snowfall led to power outages in parts of Bavaria. Thousands of households in Bayernwerk’s network area are without power, a spokesman said on Saturday. The focus is on the area around Munich as well as the areas of Penzberg, Kolbermoor, Freilassing, Parsberg, Vilshofen, Eggenfelden and Regen. Trees had fallen on lines, and some lines were damaged or torn due to the snow load. He warned against approaching cables that are hanging down or lying on the ground.
Service teams have been on duty since the night to repair damage to power lines and restore the power supply. “We are making good progress in restoring supplies, but many thousands of households are still affected,” said the spokesman. In addition, new disruptions are constantly occurring. “What we are feeling at the moment: that the weather is making it more difficult to reach the fault locations. Many roads and access roads are closed, especially in Upper Bavaria. But we’re sticking with it.”
In addition, snow and ice cause chaos on all traffic routes in southern Bavaria. Numerous railway lines around the state capital Munich had to be closed on Saturday night, as Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced. Train traffic to and from Munich main station was initially suspended. In Ulm and Munich, passengers had to spend the night on trains.
There were sometimes long traffic jams on the motorways. On the A8 towards Salzburg, a traffic jam near Munich already stretches for 30 kilometers, said a spokeswoman for the ADAC on Saturday morning. The A6 and A9 are also severely affected. The automobile club recommends temporarily refraining from unnecessary car journeys and, if so, only driving with winter equipment, said the spokeswoman.
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