A brutal winter wave sweeping in from Russia has paralyzed life across the rural parts of eastern and central Türkiye, burying hundreds of roads under heavy snow and leaving remote communities isolated as temperatures plummet.
In the eastern province of Hakkari, heavy snowfall cut access to 72 settlements, including 20 villages.
A section of the road between two districts was temporarily closed in both directions, while traffic police imposed restrictions on some routes as a precaution.
In the northern city of Kastamonu, authorities reported that 202 village roads were closed due to snow, mainly in mountainous districts. Provincial teams were deployed to reopen routes as conditions allowed.
In the eastern city of Kars, blizzard conditions cut off 41 villages, while snow and ice forced the closure of a major road.
Several trucks were stranded on icy ramps, and 10 bus passengers were rescued after being trapped in heavy snowfall near a mountain pass.
On a major highway at the Bolu Mountain pass in northern Türkiye, snow and ice disrupted traffic toward Istanbul.
The road was later reopened to heavy trucks after clearing and salting operations.
Emergency teams were also mobilized in several provinces to reach patients in snowbound villages.
In the southeastern city of Siirt, an 8-year-old child was taken to hospital after crews cleared a blocked road.
In another southeastern province of Bitlis, a 7-month-old baby with a fever was transported to medical care after access to the village was restored.
In Şırnak province, snowfall was accompanied by thunderstorms. A lightning strike hit the top floor of a residential building, causing property damage but no injuries.
