He spoke of an “increased emergency deployment” and said that all the vehicles of the fire brigade, rescue and ambulance services were out on call. The police's initial assessment of the damage caused by the black ice amounts to over 150,000 Euros.

Five car accidents in the Bonn region caused injury: one woman driver crashed into a wall after her car slipped on the ice in Berkum on Saturday night. On the L261 in Röttgen a man crashed into a tree after his car veered off the road. In Lengsdorf a woman driver hit a concrete pillar after black ice caused her to lose control of her car. And finally two people were injured in an accident on Joseph-Beuys-Allee. Two pedestrians fell over on the ice: in Bonn city centre a lady suffered minor injuries and in Oberkassel a man was taken to hospital with severe injuries.

The German weather services had extended their weather warning on Saturday evening. Up to 12 o'clock there were warnings of black ice for Bonn and the region. Black ice was expected due to freezing rain and drizzle. The weather services has warned people to avoid driving and to stay at home. For those who did decide to venture out, the German Orthopedic and Accident Surgery Association had the following advice: walk like a penguin to avoid falling over.

(Original article: dpa/Alexander Hertel. Translation: Caroline Payne)