Interfax A snowstorm raged on Sakhalin from last week, wreaking havoc on the island and cutting air and sea service with the mainland, emergency officials said. The airport of Yuzno-Sakhalinsk was closed because the landing strip was buried under snow and visibility was zero. Fishing, passenger, and transport ships were ordered not to leave their harbors. The emergency situations headquarters reported that the storm stopped railway and automobile traffic. Two ambulance cars were lost in the storm Thursday on their way to pick up a pregnant woman from a remote village. They were found half-way to the village the next day and both crews were alive and well. The woman received the necessary emergency information over the phone before another car could reach her. © copyright 2000 the Vladivostok News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in any form. [Back to News page]  [Back to Front page]  [Write to us]