Under the enormous weight of the large amount of fresh snow, the trees in Upper Carinthia broke like toothpicks on Saturday evening. Even the fire brigade could not keep up with the work, so the road had to be closed. The sudden onset of winter has also left its mark on Salzburg and Tyrol.
Hours of massive snowfall created dangerous situations in Carinthia. On Friday evening, a 25-year-old driver from the municipality of Stockenboi (Villach district) was driving in the municipality of Paternion when a tree suddenly fell on the vehicle while he was driving on the South Tyrolean road between Kamering and Aifresdorf.
Blessing in disguise! The woman was unharmed in the incident, but the car was completely damaged.
Trees collapsed under the snow pressure
“The approximately 20 meter high tree, which towered over the entire roadway on Südtiroler Straße, was removed from the roadway by the FF Paternion with a chainsaw. The damaged vehicle has been towed away,” a police officer said.
Along the entire South Tyrolean Road, trees were poking through the snow into the roads and threatened to fall. “While the FF was clearing Paternion, more trees fell on the road!” said a police officer, describing the dangerous operation.
The road had to be closed
Therefore, the road had to be closed to all traffic at 11:30 PM between the Mauth Bridge, the intersection of the Drautal Bundesstraße (B 100) to Aifersdorf – barriers were placed by municipal employees for this purpose. “A local diversion has been set up,” it says. The closure is expected to last until Saturday. The following roads are still closed due to weather conditions:
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- Katschberg Straße (B99) between Katschberg and Spittal
- Wurzen Pass (B109)
- Picking pass (B110)
- Turracher Höhe (B95)
Animal rescue in Hermagor
The onset of winter has also left no trace on the FF Hermagor. But in addition to the ‘normal’ missions (fallen trees, crashed cars), the Floriani also went on an animal mission: in the town of Kraß an accommodation tent collapsed under the weight of the snow. But there were 22 sheep inside! “The owner, together with the Hermagor and Radnig fire brigade, was able to rescue the 22 sheep housed in the tent from the collapsed tent,” the fire brigade reported.
Skidded on a snowy road
A traffic accident in Spittal an der Drau did not end so lightly: a 20-year-old slipped on Drautal Straße shortly before 7 p.m. due to winter road conditions and excessive speed. “He slid into oncoming traffic and crashed the back of his car into the oncoming car of a 19-year-old from Baldramsdorf,” police said. She and her 18-year-old passenger suffered unknown injuries and had to be taken to hospital. The 20-year-old, who was not drunk, was unharmed.
3,600 houses without electricity
As Robert Schmaranz from Kärnten Netz explains, fallen trees have cut off the power supply to around 3,600 households. “The Spittal and Villach-Land districts are particularly affected; especially in the Lisa, Katsch, Gegen and the Lower Drautal, but also around the Weißensee and Millstättersee.” Although the technicians were on duty all night, some repairs had to be canceled because the situation was in the dark and the weather became too dangerous. “We ask for your understanding,” Schmaranz said. It should be clear by the beginning of the afternoon when exactly all households can be supplied with electricity again.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
