700km traffic jam snarls Paris as residents flee lockdown
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700km traffic jam in Paris ahead of lockdown
A record-breaking traffic jam ensnarled Paris last night as residents fled the capital in their thousands or tried to return to the city ahead of a 9pm curfew and lockdown on Thursday night (early Friday morning AEDT).
Local media said the jams stretched as far as 700km, breaking a previous record for traffic jams set during transport strikes. Thousands of Parisians were reportedly leaving the city, preferring to spend lockdown in the countryside or regional areas rather than urban apartments. Many others were racing home early from France's school holidays which end on the weekend.
France is now in a second national lockdown with around 50,000 new cases reported daily and hundreds of deaths.
Elsewhere in the city, there were reports of packed bars and restaurants as residents enjoyed a final night out before pubs and eateries were shut down.
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