MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Six thousands trucks stranded by snow blocked Andes tunnel

6.000 fully loaded trucks stranded

Heavy snow and wind storms that are punishing the Andes region have forced the closure of a key mountain highway and tunnel connecting Argentina with Chile leaving an estimated 6.000 fully loaded trucks stranded.

Argentine transit officials predicted the Cristo Redentor tunnel, a nearly 3.5 kilometres passage drilled into the mountains at 3.500 meters above sea level, would remain impassable for another 72 hours because of snowstorms and winds, reported the Argentine news agency Telam. Authorities said some 2.700 trucks were halted on the Argentine side of the border and 3.300 more on the Chilean side. Cristo Redentor, 1.300 kilometres from Buenos Aires has been blocked with snow and closed since last weekend and weather officials have warned that besides heavy snow, winds over a hundred kilometres strong are forecasted for Thursday and Friday. The Andes crossing which links Mendoza with Santiago de Chile is crucial for Mercosur land transport. The spell of bad weather has also extended to Buenos Aires and neighbouring Uruguay with days of intermittent heavy fog that hampered domestic air travel and sea links between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The situation worsened when a few among the thousands of stranded passengers in Buenos Aires domestic air terminal, Aeroparque, furious because of the lack of information and accommodation attacked check-in personnel which resulted in a two days strike by Argentina's main domestic airline, Aerolineas Argentinas staff. Workers only returned when greater security was guaranteed by the airlines. An estimated 20.000 travelers have been stranded for almost a week in Aeroparque.