Helicopters dropped food and fuel supplies to thousands of drivers marooned on highways across South Korea, officials said this afternoon, after the worst March snowfall in a century blanketed the country's central region.
About 4,000 passengers that had been stranded on highways were released late in the afternoon, after struggling in snow for more than a day, as frozen roads were cleaned and traffic returned to normal, the Korea Highway Corporation said.
"Although traffic jams remain in several areas, now there's no stranded cars," said an official at the corporation. "We blocked entrances near the congested areas to help fully normalize traffic."
By noon, about 2,200 cars had been stuck on two major highways linking the capital Seoul to cities in the south, according to the corporation.
The government had mobilised 39 helicopters to meet the basic needs of motorists.
"We've delivered bread, water, blankets and even gas," said an official at the National Disaster Prevention and Countermeasures Headquarters.
The anti-disaster center estimated damages from the snowfall at 162.1 billion won ($138.5 million) by late afternoon, adding that the figure would climb as it was still compiling data.
News cable broadcaster YTN showed endless rows of motionless cars surrounded by knee-deep snow. Drivers were plowing through the snow with food and oil casks in their hands.