Ski departures may be delayed for holidaymakers wishing to take the Col du Lautaret road (Hautes-Alpes).
A Polish bus, equipped with a trailer, was blocked by snow while climbing the pass this Saturday morning, between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Although he had started the climb without being equipped with chains, the vehicle stopped with around sixty people on board.
“The current conditions are difficult, with strong wind and zero visibility. The departmental council's road service teams are no longer able to work. We close the pass while we clear it
,” said Marcel Cannat, vice-president of the departmental council in charge of roads, in Dauphiné Libéré.
The local firefighters evacuated the bus, requiring more than ten round trips, to drop off the people in the Laragne multipurpose room.
No injuries have been reported.
The closure of the pass will continue at least until Sunday morning, and the authorities have directed traffic towards the Bayard pass.