BERLIN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Extreme winter weather caused numerous traffic accidents across northeastern Germany on Friday, while flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were suspended for hours before gradually resuming later in the day.
The German Weather Service warned of dangerous icy conditions caused by freezing rain in parts of the German states of Berlin, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Police reported multiple accidents on icy roads, including several on motorways around Berlin, where sections were temporarily closed. Dozens of people were injured, and an elderly woman was killed in a collision in the state of Brandenburg.
Icy conditions also led to wider disruptions. Public transport services were suspended in some cities, schools were closed in parts of northwest Germany, and rail services between Berlin and Hanover were affected.
At Berlin Brandenburg Airport, no take-offs or landings were possible from Thursday evening due to black ice and persistent freezing rain. The airport operator said flight operations were officially cleared to resume at midday on Friday.
Flights restarted gradually, but more than 100 flights were cancelled by Friday afternoon, and passengers faced long delays as aircraft de-icing took significantly longer than usual. Airport officials warned that renewed black ice could force another temporary suspension of flights. ■
