Snowstorm traps hundreds of vehicles, over 1,000 people in Armenian village

A snowstorm blocked hundreds of vehicles and stranded more than 1,000 people near a crossroads in Shinuhayr, a village in Armenia’s southern Syunik Province, the Interior Ministry’s Rescue Service reported on Friday.

An alert was received at 7:23 a.m. on Thursday after vehicles became stuck in deep snow near the Shinuhayr junction. Fire and rescue crews were dispatched to the scene and found more than 100 vehicles trapped.

Between 8:30 a.m. on January 22 and 12:20 a.m. on January 23, rescuers freed 34 trucks and 311 passenger vehicles and assisted 1,086 people, the ministry said.

Rescue teams remain on duty along the road due to the terrain of the area, monitoring conditions and providing assistance to drivers affected by the weather.