In a giant traffic jam on the highway “Don” hundreds of people “disappeared”

For the second day in a multi-kilometer traffic jam on a section of the M4 Don highway in the Rostov region, hundreds of cars are standing, the string stretched for tens of kilometers. Cars were trapped in the snow due to bad weather. People were left without gasoline, cell phones and food. “MK” tried to figure out what happened on the track yesterday and what is happening now.

The weather forecast for the second half of Thursday in the Kamensky and Krasnosulinsky districts, where the most difficult situation developed, foreshadowed snowfall. However, no measures were taken in the event of an emergency by the local authorities.

In these parts, for several days now, there has been a confident positive temperature, so some drivers have already changed their shoes to summer tires, which only aggravated the situation. On Thursday, the nightmare began – accident after accident. By 11 a.m., the traffic jam had stretched for more than 20 km. Because of the heavy ice, the cars simply could not climb the slopes …

“We got into an accident yesterday around 12 noon. It was not possible to get through to the Ministry of Emergency Situations initially. When they answered, they didn’t say anything. Seeing that the cars were also standing still on the opposite side, we realized that they would not come for us soon.

There were many accidents. They stood and waited. Gasoline ran out somewhere around 15 o’clock. My phone worked, I took a power bank with me on the road. And many phones are down. During the day, people came up, asked to give a call. As a rule, they called relatives to calm them down, ”driver Sergey, who got into this difficult situation, tells MK.

Only in the late afternoon, when the situation deteriorated significantly, and the traffic jam acquired colossal proportions, the equipment of the Ministry of Emergency Situations began to appear in areas of snow blockages. Initially sent 36 cars were not enough. Rescuers focused on working on the most difficult sections, as well as where it was possible and most optimal to organize a detour of the route. To this end, the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations began to cut the fenders that delimit the lanes. Then, drivers whose cars remained on the move were advised to turn around in the opposite direction.

“The cry of the soul is simple. A week ago, they left Belgorod with the children to get away from the constant bakhs at least a little, the children were frightened, they were even afraid to return home. And now this traffic jam, the nerves are just at the limit, ”writes Christina, who got stuck in a traffic jam, in a chat for motorists on Telegram.

SMS notifications to people came with a strong delay. In the city of Shakhty, Belokalitvinsky, Kamensky, Krasnosulinsky and Oktyabrsky districts, an emergency mode was introduced. The section of the M4 highway itself at 907 – 983 km in the forward and reverse directions was blocked from 20:00. MChSovtsy organized several points of heating. However, many had to somehow get to them, having walked tens of kilometers on foot in a snowstorm.

For some drivers, the patience turned out to be completely exhausted and they simply left their frozen cars with empty tanks and went towards the nearest cities. The situation was especially difficult for bus passengers, who remained in cold transport without water and food for almost a day.

It was also difficult to help those in need of medical assistance. Often, the ambulance simply could not get to the right place. It is known that at least one of the cars was carrying a pregnant woman. She was only evacuated early on Friday morning. Many cars transported the elderly and children. The mother of one child with diabetes tried to contact the doctors and emergency commissioners during the night.

“Until the morning no one could come to us. We have one dry bag with us. Sat without hot food. There was no gasoline. I could not leave the child and go seek help. My husband called 112 from another region. There he was told to apply to the Rostov region. They only helped in the morning. As a result, they themselves turned towards Moscow. Very tired, ”Olesya told MK.

By evening, many posts and comments by relatives of people who had disappeared in traffic appeared on social networks. Citizens are still trying to find out what is happening with their loved ones who have not been in contact since yesterday evening. The number of people in need of help turned out to be quite large, and dozens of volunteers, as well as simply caring citizens, joined the cause.

Local residents from nearby settlements offered any assistance to the victims free of charge – from water to lodging for the night. Truckers also came to the aid of car drivers. Drivers of heavy trucks placed all those in need in the cabs of tractors.

Unfortunately, even at such a difficult moment for many, there were scammers who, in the hope of human despair, sent messages via Telegram channels offering fuel delivery services, but only with an advance payment in the amount of “no matter how much it is a pity”.

By Friday morning, the weather had noticeably improved, and the night work of the Ministry of Emergency Situations began to give results. Those who remained on the move began to turn around, some towards Moscow, others towards Rostov. The closed section is now, as a rule, bypassed through Millerovo. However, both on the M4 itself and on some secondary roads in the area of ​​​​the route, the situation continues to be difficult and people continue to stand still for more than 20 hours.

As our colleague from the regional publication told MK, it was also difficult to pass on bypass roads. “Somewhere, trees were knocked down, the road was blocked and the wires of power lines were cut off. There are still cars and trucks on the road. Passenger cars are now trying to take out. The cork remains, but begins to dissolve. Now they continue to cut the cable fences so that they can make a reverse movement where the road has been cleared. Blockages of snow continue to lie in places from half a meter to a meter high.

Read the material “No food, no help”: motorists stuck on the Don highway complained of indifference