Homeless man freezes to death in Johannesburg after snow (Roundup)

Jun 27, 2007, 20:43 GMT

Johannesburg - Unusual heavy snowfall was blamed for the death of a homeless man in Johannesburg Wednesday, and delayed airline flights in the commercial capital.

Snow up to 25 centimetres deep closed several mountain passes. More than 300 bus passengers and 20 truck drivers were trapped in the high altitude regions of KwaZulu-Natal, in the southeastern region, SAPA press agency reported.

A snow-covered tarmac at Johannesburg's international airport caused flights in Cape Town headed that way to be grounded for up to six hours, SAPA press agency reported.

The homeless man died of exposure in downtown Johannesburg, according to Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Malcom Midgley.

While it snows frequently during the winter in the more southerly mountainous regions of the country, the white wonderland that Johannesburg residents woke up to was a once-in-several-years occurrence.

Semi-tropical gardens in affluent areas of the City of Gold were topped with a powdery dusting of white crystals as residents reminisced about the last 'big snow,' dating back to the 1980s.

The cold weather snap is expected to continue through Thursday. Temperatures were expected to drop to minus 1 to 3 degrees Centigrade in some parts of the country.

There were no reports of disruption at international airports.