Black ice causes major traffic disruptions and power outages across Moldova
Dangerous black ice and glazed frost have severely disrupted road and pedestrian traffic across several regions of Moldova this Thursday morning.
The National Police have issued an urgent safety alert, advising citizens to use extreme caution. Pedestrians are urged to stick exclusively to designated walkways to avoid injuries from falls.
Emergency response and road safety
Patrol inspectors are currently deployed nationwide to monitor high-risk areas and assist motorists. Drivers are advised to significantly reduce speeds and adapt their driving style to the hazardous road conditions.
The National Crisis Management Center has been activated to coordinate the inter-institutional response. This follows a night of heavy precipitation and temperature fluctuations that began on Wednesday, February 4.
Impact on infrastructure
The northern regions of Moldova remain the most affected. Authorities previously restricted heavy-duty vehicle traffic in certain areas to prevent accidents and gridlock.
Freezing rain has also caused localized power outages after ice buildup damaged electrical grids. Officials recommend that citizens avoid non-essential travel until weather conditions stabilize and road surfaces are treated.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
Road and pedestrian traffic is difficult in several areas due to ice and frost forming on roads and sidewalks on the morning of Thursday, February 5. Under these conditions, the risk of accidents and incidents remains high.
The National Police of the Republic of Moldova warns pedestrians to exercise extreme caution, walk only on sidewalks and in areas designated for pedestrian traffic, in order to avoid slipping and injuries.
At the same time, drivers are urged to reduce speed, adapt their driving style to road conditions, and exercise increased caution, especially in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic.
Patrol inspectors are in the field, monitoring traffic and intervening to maintain the safety of all traffic participants.
The authorities warn that, due to the ice, road conditions remain difficult and recommend that all road users drive with extra caution.
We note that the situation has remained complicated nationwide since the evening of Wednesday, February 4, when ice formed due to precipitation and temperature variations created major difficulties on several roads in the Republic of Moldova, especially in the north of the country. Road traffic has been hampered, heavy goods transport has been temporarily restricted in some areas, and damage to the electricity networks has caused partial disconnections of consumers in several localities. In this context, the National Crisis Management Center convened the responsible institutions and coordinated interventions to limit risks and protect the population, with authorities urging citizens to exercise caution and avoid non-essential travel.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
