Three of Germany's main motorways, the A4, A5 and A7, were impassable in the western state of Hesse on Wednesday as lorries got stuck in the deep snow.
The trapped trucks lead to traffic jams that stretched for several kilometres just north-east of Frankfurt, stranding many drivers. In addition to the road maintenance vehicles, the Red Cross was deployed to provide drivers with blankets and hot drinks, according to a police spokesperson.
Several lorries were blocking the lanes because they were either unable to continue their journey due to the wintry conditions or had slid across the road in some cases. This made it all the more difficult to clear the blockages.
In some cases, salt and gravel-spreading vehicles could no longer get past the stranded trucks.
Technical assistance and towing services were also called in to push or tow away the lorries. However, it was difficult for them to get to the affected areas, as the snow made it difficult for other drivers to form rescue lanes.
