Cars begin thawing out from under the snow as spring reaches Kamchatka
This winter was unusually snowy in Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky. Now, as the snow finally begins to melt there as well, dozens of cars are emerging from beneath the high snowbanks where they spent the season. Their owners are less than delighted. Bodywork is bent, windows are broken and some people still have not found their cars at all.
A winter that swallowed the car parks
According to local reports, Kamchatka had an exceptionally heavy winter, and even extra snow clearing equipment was not enough to keep the situation fully under control. During the spring thaw, a car emerged from under a snow pile in a shopping centre car park, where it had apparently stood for several months.
Many vehicles have crushed body panels, broken glass and damaged bumpers and bonnets. Some owners still have not identified their cars, simply because the snow piles have not yet melted enough to reveal what is underneath.
Snow does not need speed to cause damage
The greatest risk affected cars left in places where snow built up into especially high banks: beside building walls, in lower parts of car parks and along the edges of piles pushed there by snow clearing machinery. In those conditions, the car is not damaged only by snow itself. The real punishment comes from weight, freezing and the slow collapse of the packed mass as temperatures rise.
Insurance claims may prove awkward
The cases could become complicated for insurers. Compensation will depend on the exact policy and on whether the owner can prove that the damage was caused specifically by the weight of the snow.
Based on the information published so far, no broad conclusion can be made that every damaged car will receive compensation from insurance. For some owners in Kamchatka, spring is not bringing renewal so much as an expensive excavation.
