Fresh snows set traffic chaos record in Belgium

BRUSSELS – Traffic was backed up across 920 kilometres (575 miles) of Belgian roads during the morning rush period, with drivers stuck in tailbacks for three hours, the national automobile association said.

This easily crushed the record of 520 kilometres of jams set in December.

The northern Flanders region was worst hit by the snow, which also affected the capital Brussels, as well as central Brabant Wallonia and Charleroi in the southwest. Only the east of the country escaped the falls.

Dozens of accidents were reported, and police advised heavy vehicles, particularly around Antwerp in the north, to pull off major roads and park until the snow subsided.

Buses were at a virtual standstill in Brussels early Wednesday, but trains were running almost normally, the state rail service said.

At airports, some flights were cancelled while others were delayed for up to an hour, according to national broadcaster RTBF.

AFP/Expatica