Moscow feels wrath of winter
Source: Agencies |
December 29, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THOUSANDS of would-be holiday travelers were stranded at Moscow airports yesterday after icy rain and blackouts disrupted traffic for a third straight day.
The chaotic scene - exasperated passengers struggled with a lack of information, food shortages and lost baggage - prompted prosecutors to launch a probe into the mass delays at Moscow's two main air hubs.
Only 150 flights took off overnight at Russia's largest airport Domodedovo, which typically runs some 700 flights per day, after freezing rain snapped power lines leaving it in the dark for more than 10 hours over the weekend.
Flight boards were almost fully lit in red, warning of delays and cancellations as passengers slept on baggage conveyor belts and floors in the departure hall.
It would take up to three days to normalize transport at Domodedovo, the head of Russia's aviation agency Alexander Neradko said in televised comments, adding that priority was being given to passengers stuck since Sunday.
Shortages of de-icing fluid at the Russian capital's second airport, Sheremetyevo, also grounded about half its flights.
Other Moscow airports have also seen traffic severely cut after freezing rain coated the city in a thick sheet of ice, and health officials warned citizens from going out on ice-slick streets.
The Russian Tourism Association said some 20,000 passengers have had flights delayed, though airport authorities say the number is in the low thousands.
Frustrated passengers told Ekho Moskvye radio that restaurants had hiked food and drink prices amid shortages. Bottles of water were selling for up to 500 roubles (US$16).
But passengers still camped on the floor as they awaited information on their flights and scrambled for lost baggage.
As frustration boiled over, one group of angry travelers stormed the passport control at Domodedovo on Monday. OMON riot police have since been dispatched to keep the peace at the struggling transport hubs.
The chaotic scene - exasperated passengers struggled with a lack of information, food shortages and lost baggage - prompted prosecutors to launch a probe into the mass delays at Moscow's two main air hubs.
Only 150 flights took off overnight at Russia's largest airport Domodedovo, which typically runs some 700 flights per day, after freezing rain snapped power lines leaving it in the dark for more than 10 hours over the weekend.
Flight boards were almost fully lit in red, warning of delays and cancellations as passengers slept on baggage conveyor belts and floors in the departure hall.
It would take up to three days to normalize transport at Domodedovo, the head of Russia's aviation agency Alexander Neradko said in televised comments, adding that priority was being given to passengers stuck since Sunday.
Shortages of de-icing fluid at the Russian capital's second airport, Sheremetyevo, also grounded about half its flights.
Other Moscow airports have also seen traffic severely cut after freezing rain coated the city in a thick sheet of ice, and health officials warned citizens from going out on ice-slick streets.
The Russian Tourism Association said some 20,000 passengers have had flights delayed, though airport authorities say the number is in the low thousands.
Frustrated passengers told Ekho Moskvye radio that restaurants had hiked food and drink prices amid shortages. Bottles of water were selling for up to 500 roubles (US$16).
But passengers still camped on the floor as they awaited information on their flights and scrambled for lost baggage.
As frustration boiled over, one group of angry travelers stormed the passport control at Domodedovo on Monday. OMON riot police have since been dispatched to keep the peace at the struggling transport hubs.
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