The blizzard hit South Korea for a second day on Thursday, with dozens of flights canceled, ferry operations suspended and at least five people killed in the cold, although There are signs of improvement in the situation.
The snowfall was the third-heaviest in the capital Seoul since records began in 1907, Yonhap news agency said, citing city data.
“It’s snowing a lot today,” said Lee Sook-ja, 73, while sipping soup at Namdaemun Market, one of Seoul’s largest markets. “It’s cold and cold, but drinking a cup of hot fish cake soup really helps me warm up.”
More than 40 cm (16 inches) of snow accumulated in parts of Seoul by Thursday morning, forcing the cancellation of more than 140 flights, although weather officials later lifted a heavy snowfall warning in the city’s metropolitan area.
Yonhap reported at least five deaths from snowfall in Gyeonggi province adjacent to Seoul since Wednesday, four from structures collapsing under the weight of snow and one in a traffic accident when a bus skidded on an icy road.
Eleven people were injured in a collision involving 53 vehicles on a highway in the central city of Wonju in Gangwon province on Wednesday evening, police said.
Seoul’s main airport, Incheon, was hardest hit, where passengers faced delays of about two hours on average, while aircraft tracking website Flightradar24 showed 31% of flights were delayed and 16% canceled on Thursday.
Officials said about 142 flights were cancelled, and 76 ferry routes were suspended, while media reported some train delays.
As of noon, about 1,285 schools, including kindergartens, were closed in Gyeonggi province, officials said.
The unusually heavy snowfall in November has been attributed to warmer than normal ocean temperatures due to the flow of cold air to the west of the Korean Peninsula.
Neighboring North Korea also saw more than 10 cm (4 inches) of snowfall in some areas between Tuesday and Wednesday, state broadcaster Korean Central Television said.
