Emergency rooms in the capital area have had their hands full on account of broken bones due to slippery sidewalks.
While roads in Reykjavík are dutifully ploughed and salted, walking on city sidewalks can often be a roll of the dice. MBL reports that the emergency room of the Fossvogur location of Landspítali hospital has had to deal with multiple cases of broken ankles and wrists caused by people falling on slippery sidewalks.
“There’s been quite a bit to do today,” Landspítali spokesperson Guðnýj Helga Herbertsdóttir told reporters. “The patients have, for the most part, been senior citizens.”
Capital area firefighters confirmed they have received a number of dispatch calls for people who fell and injured themselves on sidewalks, while at the same time there have been few reports of damage done from melting ice and snow.
A combination of a great deal of snow, followed by freezing temperatures, and then followed by slightly warming temperatures and rain have contributed to the treacherous conditions of the sidewalks. Furthermore, not every stretch of sidewalk in the city is necessarily cleared or salted. Readers are advised to exercise caution when walking downtown.
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