While icy conditions eased across western parts of Germany on Tuesday, roads and walkways remained slippery in the east and in parts of Bavaria. According to the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach, rainfall reached the far eastern regions overnight and fell onto frozen ground amid light frost, creating a continued risk of black ice.
After heavy snowfall last week, an Atlantic low-pressure system moving across Germany has brought milder temperatures, but also caused hazardous conditions on roads in many areas. Several accidents, some of them serious, were reported on Monday.
On Monday evening, a major pile-up occurred on a federal highway in Bavaria on extremely icy roads. Police said a total of 20 vehicles were involved, including an articulated lorry and a road gritting vehicle. The crash near Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia left eleven people slightly injured and two seriously injured.
In the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, a van skidded onto railway tracks at a level crossing on Monday due to icy conditions and was struck by a train. The van driver was slightly injured in the incident between the stops of Langenmoor and Sparrieshoop. The train driver and around 40 passengers were unharmed.
In Saxony-Anhalt, a cargo vessel on the Mittelland Canal was damaged by an ice floe, according to the water police. Water entered the engine room, but the leak was temporarily sealed, police said on Tuesday. Winter road maintenance crews were deployed in force in many municipalities, particularly in eastern Germany. In Dresden, freezing drizzle overnight turned streets and pavements into slippery surfaces. From 2:00 a.m., 48 workers and 42 gritting vehicles were operating across the city, spreading salt and grit.
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