Europe freeze strands travellers, cuts power

The Arctic freeze that has stricken Europe left hundreds of people stuck in vehicles in deep snow or stranded at airports with scores more flights cancelled and power cuts to thousands of homes yesterday.

The treacherous conditions cut off villages in northern Germany and the Baltic islands, and disrupted rail traffic with the troubled Eurostar still only able to run two out of three trains under the English Channel.

The weather, which forecasters said was caused by a rare depression that they had called "Daisy", unleashed blizzards in northern Germany that left motorways, other roads and railways in impassable at certain points.

Hundreds of people were stuck in their cars and lorries in snow, or in trains, overnight and yesterday, authorities said. The whole country was blanketed with snow and buffeted by gale force winds in places.

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