New York snowstorm kills at least five people

The New York snowstorm has killed at least five people after dumping 5ft of snow in parts of the state.

The city of Buffalo was forecast to get 6ft later on November 19 with another storm due to wreak more chaos.

The storm was blamed for five deaths in New York state – one in a car crash, one trapped in a car and three from heart attacks.

Temperatures across all 50 US states plummeted to freezing, and there were several snow-related deaths elsewhere.

Residents were reported trapped in their homes and cars, and strong winds and icy roads caused motorway accidents and forced school closures in parts of the US.

A women’s basketball team from Niagara University was left stranded on a roadway for hours before being picked up by authorities.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo deployed more than 100 National Guard members to assist in clearing roads and removing abandoned vehicles.

The National Weather Service said some places could top the record for a single-day of snowfall, which is 6ft 4ins.

Train service in parts of New York state was suspended on November 19, while long stretches of highway near Buffalo were shuttered.

As well as the fatalities in New York, there were two other weather-related deaths reported in New Hampshire and Michigan.

About 20 people have died across the US since November 15.

Three firefighters in Indiana were also injured when a trailer struck a fire truck on a snow-covered roadway.

Amid the weather, the State University of New York Buffalo announced it planned to go ahead with a nationally televised football game on Wednesday evening, although all pre-game activities were cancelled.

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