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European airports close as cold snap gets worse.


London's Heathrow cancelled 30 percent of its flights on Sunday morning, to cope with heavy snowfall overnight, and possible freezing fog at Europe's busiest airport.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the vicious cold snap across Europe has risen to more than 260. Ukraine has suffered the heaviest toll with 122 fatalaties, including many who froze to death in the streets, as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 38.1 degrees Celsius.

Airports were shut, flights and trains delayed, and highways gridlocked as emergency services raced to clear falling snow.

In the Netherlands, Amsterdam-Schiphol airport reported dozens of delays and cancellations on Saturday. In Italy, the poor weather also hit boat passengers, when the ferry Sharden hit a breakwater shortly after setting off from the port of Civitavecchia near Rome on Saturday.

 It caused panic among the 262 passengers who feared a repeat of a cruise ship tragedy in the area last month that is thought to
have killed 32 people.