Latvia reports surge in traffic accidents amid snowy, icy conditions

Riga [Latvia], January 8: Latvia's first working week of 2026 began with a high number of traffic accidents, with 138 crashes reported on Monday and 165 on Tuesday, according to data released by the State Police on Wednesday.
The most serious road accidents were reported on Monday in the eastern region of Latgale, where a school bus skidded off the road in Augsdaugava municipality, and a three-vehicle collision occurred in Balvi municipality, resulting in one fatality.
On Wednesday morning, Latvian State Roads (LVC), the state-owned company responsible for managing the country's road network, warned drivers that snow and icy conditions were making travel difficult on most main and regional highways nationwide, except for a section of the Ventspils highway from Strazde to Ventspils.
Driving conditions in Latgale have been particularly challenging, as continuous snowfall since the beginning of the year has led to snowdrifts and ice on regional and local roads, said LVC.
Weather conditions are not expected to improve on Thursday, with air temperatures forecast to fall further in some areas, meteorologists said. Temperatures are expected to range between minus 5 and minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Source: Xinhua News Agency