Heavy snow halts thousands of trucks at Argentina-Chile border

Source: CCTV.com | 06-15-2007 09:04

Truck drivers walk by snow covered trucks in Punta de Vacas, Argentina, Tuesday, June 12, 2007, as a heavy snow storm forced the closure of the road heading to Chile, leaving some 5,000 trucks stranded on both sides of the border. (AP Photo/Walter Moreno, Los Andes)

A huge snow storm has left thousands of trucks stranded on the Argentine-Chilean border.

On Wednesday, several meters of snow fell on the Cristo Redentor mountain pass that connects the Argentine province of Mendoza to neighboring Chile. Authorities have shut the pass and sent in heavy snow ploughs to work around the clock to open the highway. But the pass is not expected to be reopened until Saturday.

About 6,000 freight trucks have been stranded on both sides of the pass. The Cristo Redentor pass is crucial for trade between members of the South American trade bloc, Mercosur.

Editor:Du Xiaodan