Elderly woman found dead in snow as cold front sweeps Greece

ATHENS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- An elderly woman was found dead in snow on Saturday, and an aground freighter was rescued in the Agean Sea, as a cold front sweeps across Greece.

The 80-year-old victim went missing on Friday. Her body was found near her home in northern Peloponnese peninsula, southern Greece, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, the 12-member crew of the freighter which ran aground off Mykonos island in the Aegean sea was rescued.

The Panama-flagged freighter LITTLE SEYMA, with nine Ukrainians and three Azeris on board, was transferring 2,700 tons of flour from Russia to Cyprus, when it ran aground. The mariners have been safely transferred to Mykonos, the Coast Guard said.

With wind velocity reaching up to eight on the Beaufort scale since Friday, many ferryboats have remained docked at ports across Greece.

Temperatures throughout the country have lowered to between zero and 10 degrees Celsius. The low temperatures along with intense snowfall and heavy rainfall have worsened the traffic conditions, which have been already strained during a peak time for the Christmas holidays.

Civil protection authorities have cautioned motorists in press announcements to put snow chains on their vehicles, as meteorologists forecast more ice on roads in the coming days and a probable White Christmas.

Municipal authorities have opened heated halls to provide shelter, blankets, medical aid and food to the homeless during the cold front. Enditem