‘Curfew announcement depends on severity of blizzard’

AMMAN — The Interior Ministry on Wednesday said precautionary instructions on motorists’ mobility during the expected snowstorm will depend on how severe the blizzard is.

“We have not taken any decision yet,” Interior Ministry Spokesperson Ziad Zu’bi said, adding that “instructions will depend on the severity of the weather conditions.”

“We still do not know what to expect, but if the storm ends up being similar to the one we witnessed last month we will urge motorists to stay home,” Zu’bi told The Jordan Times.

“The safety of citizens is our utmost priority and we will penalise anyone who defies our instructions if they, for example, end up blocking roads or obstructing rescue operations,” the ministry official added.

The government enforced curfews at certain hours to avoid road accidents during a blizzard dubbed “Huda” that hit the country in early January.

Officials handling the 911 Command and Control Centre (CCC) told The Jordan Times in a recent interview that the number of traffic accidents doubled during the snowstorm.

In the week of January 7 to January 14, the CCC received around 434,000 calls, compared to the monthly average of around 600,000 calls.

On January 8, the CCC received 86,000 calls from people inquiring about the weather and power cuts, as well as motorists who were trapped in the snow and needed help.