19 People Stranded in Cars amid Heavy Snowfall Rescued in 'Treacherous' Conditions: Reports
Travelers got stuck in their vehicles "following more than 50cm of snowfall in the area," the Victoria State Emergency Service reported
All 19 people who were trapped in their vehicles at Mount Hotham have since been rescued, ABC News Australia reported
19 people have reportedly been rescued after being trapped in their vehicles during a heavy snowstorm at Mount Hotham in the Victorian Alps, Australia.
On Sunday, June 7, emergency services conducted a search and rescue operation to recover those who were stranded near Hotham Heights after 'more than 50cm of snowfall in the area,' the Victoria State Emergency Service (SES) announced in a press release on Facebook on Sunday, June 8.
All 19 people who were trapped in their vehicles at Mount Hotham have now been rescued, ABC News Australia reported. While 13 were rescued on Sunday, a further six were brought to safety on Monday, June 9. No one remains trapped in the area, The Guardian reported, citing SES and police.
The Guardian and 9 News reported that 13 motorists and two hikers were rescued on Sunday after getting trapped in the snow near Mount Hotham the previous night. They got stuck at around 10:50 p.m. traveling along Blue Rag Range Track near Dargo High Plains Road.
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Half a dozen of those trapped were forced to spend a second night in their vehicles, ABC News Australia reported, citing SES Regional Duty Officer James Boler.
"The rescue operation has actually been pretty treacherous," Boler told the outlet. The conditions up on the mountain have been very, very difficult to deal with."
There has been 62 cm of snowfall in the region over the past week, with temperatures falling to -4.3-degree Celsius (24.2-degrees Farenheit), ABC News Australia reported.
The Country Fire Association, Wangaratta ski club, and Hotham alpine resort have assisted SES in their rescue efforts, according to The Guardian.
'We were very surprised at the number of vehicles that we did come across yesterday…' SES Unit Controller Graham Gales said, per the U.K. outlet. 'The experience of our drivers going into the Dargo High Plains Road yesterday was even they were having difficulty, and these are people that basically work in the snow all year round.'
On June 6, the Alpine Shire Council posted a weather warning on Facebook, stating that travelers should 'avoid the Dargo High Plains Road over the King's Birthday long weekend' due to 'snow and high winds' in the [Victorian] alps.
'If you're heading out on the roads, please drive to the conditions, pay attention to signage and don't drive on roads with closure notices in place,' the post read.
PEOPLE has reached out to Victoria State Emergency Services for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
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