Major snowstorm hits Greece and Turkey causing travel chaos

Greek drivers who were trapped in their cars as a result of heavy snow are to be offered €2,000 each in compensation as extreme weather caused chaos in Greece and Turkey.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister, contacted the highways authority and ordered the money to be made available as a massive cold front swept across the region.

In Athens, rescue crews freed around 200-300 drivers who were trapped on a major road that links the capital with the international airport.

Some drivers abandoned their cars while others spent the night inside their vehicles.

Others trekked to a nearby train station and managed to board a train that made it through the snow on Tuesday.

"It was a very difficult night and we faced unprecedented conditions," said Christos Stylianides, the Civil Protection and Climate Change Minister. "I want to again express an apology from the state for all the difficulties that the (stranded) drivers faced."

In Istanbul, heavy snowfall blocked roads and flights had to be suspended at Istanbul Airport after the roof of a cargo facility collapsed from the weight of the snow.

In Italy, seven migrants, reported to be Bangladeshis, froze to death aboard a boat that landed on the island of Lampedusa after crossing the Mediterranean from Libya.

"Again a tragedy, again we cry for innocent victims," said Totò Martello, the mayor of the tiny island, which lies south of Sicily.