Heavy snowfalls took a fatal toll in Bulgaria on February 15 2010 when the driver of a snow-cleaning machine died in a collision between a train and his vehicle at a junction in Sofia.

Snow-clearing vehicles have been operational in the capital city all night, and continued work on the morning of February 15. Traffic congestion was expected because of the snow. Authorities said that people should refrain from using their cars in Sofia unless absolutely necessary.

In the fatal accident at the Letostrui and Rilski Obitatel junction, a snow plough was crossing the railway line, having ignored the red light warning that a train was approaching, Bulgarian National Television said.

The truck's driver was killed in the collision while two train crew were taken to Pirogov emergency hospital and the Military Medical Academy with serious injuries.

The snowfall was expected to last until late afternoon on February 15 in most of Bulgaria, except for most of the Black Sea coast, the southeast and southwest parts of the country, where rain was expected.

Average temperatures for the country would be between -6 and 6C, according to the Bulgarian Meteorological Institute. Strong northwesterly winds in the mountains were expected to reach "hurricane intensity" in the upper parts of the mountain, forecasters said.

The heavy snow and precipitation in the past few days has caused several rivers to burst their banks. Among recent incidents, the Maritsa river burst its banks, the Interior Ministry said in a media statement, and parts of the E-80 motorway leading to the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with Turkey were closed. According to Dnevnik daily, the checkpoint was also closed for the moment.

Traffic was being redirected towards the Lesovo checkpoint. The situation was also reported to be critical in Elhovo, where the Tundja River was close to bursting its banks. The Strumenishnitsa River near Petrich in the southwest was also close to overflowing, Bulgarian media reports said.