People trapped in vehicles as snow storm hits Istanbul

Tourist boats docked in the Golden Horn with Suleymaniye Mosque in the background at Istanbul (Emrah Gurel/AP)

Rescue crews were forging ahead with efforts to clear major throughways in and around Istanbul that were clogged by a massive snow storm that hit the megacity and left countless people and vehicles stranded overnight in below-freezing conditions.

Roads in the city came to a standstill on Monday after the storm pounded Istanbul, a city of some 16 million people which straddles the European and Asian continents, accumulating more than 31 inches of snow in some areas.