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| Situation Update No. 1 Ref.no.: CE-20100331-25537-GBR
Situation Update No. 1
On 2010-03-31 at 11:10:45 [UTC]
Event: Complex Emergency
Location: United Kingdom Northern Ireland Northern Ireland-wide Situation: Heavy snow and winds caused overnight chaos in parts of Northern Ireland with up to 300 people rescued from a mountain road after conditions overwhelmed vehicles. The blizzard cut electricity to about 75,000 homes throughout Ireland while snowdrifts and fallen trees closed a large number of roads. The police, coastguard, mountain rescue and Department of Environment launched a joint rescue operation after motorists became stranded when metre-high snowdrifts swept across the mountainous Glenshane Pass, a main route between Belfast and Derry. Two evacuation centres were set up in Maghera and Dungiven in Co Derry to house the stranded, including schoolchildren whose bus had to be abandoned. There were no reports of injuries, but a power cut to one of the rescue centres forced the authorities to move people to a leisure centre in nearby Limavady. PSNI chief inspector Steve Cargin, who coordinated the rescue plan, said: “Treacherous blizzard conditions - I have certainly never experienced conditions like it. “Really frightening conditions, not only for my officers and our support people, but for those people who were stranded in cars for such a long period of time, especially a busload of schoolchildren.” After some 120 vehicles, with approximately 300 passengers, were trapped on the Glenshane Pass last night, officials said conditions were treacherous. Drivers found themselves trapped when both ends of the mountain pass became blocked with snow. They were later transported to the evacuation centres, where they were provided with food and shelter.
“The weather last night across Northern Ireland was unprecedented in my experience," roads service manager Colin Brown said. "Heavy snow, blizzard conditions, heavy rain and winds, a whole combination of problems on the roads." He said the route was passable with care today, but urged drivers to avoid the Glenshane Pass if possible until it is cleared. Flights were disrupted as the worst of the storm raged overnight, but as weather conditions improved this morning, officials reported that blocked roads were being cleared and Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said work was under way to restore power. Poor conditions made it impossible for technicians to climb power-line poles, but at first light this morning the repair operation was renewed. The areas worst affected by power cuts were in Co Derry and in the Omagh, Dungannon, Coleraine and Ballymena areas. In the Republic about 25,000 homes were left without supply with the worst affected areas in the north and northwest of the country. Dennis O’Leary of the ESB said the loss of supply affected about 5,000 customers in Donegal, 10,000 across Cavan and Monaghan and large numbers in Portlaoise and Athy as well as pockets across the west. Speaking on Morning Ireland Mr O’Leary said repair crews worked until very late last night and were out again at first light this morning. He said: “The concentration will be on the larger faults where most customers are affected and we’d expect to see the numbers dropping between now and lunchtime. “After that we’d focus on some of the smaller faults but at this stage we’d be hopeful that we’d have supply back to all customers by nightfall.” |  | | | |
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