US East Coast: Blizzard paralyses cities

A violent winter storm has swept across the north-east of the United States, bringing life to a standstill for millions of people.

Hundreds of thousands of households are without power, around 500,000 of them along the east coast. In Massachusetts alone, around 280,000 people have been affected.

The state of emergency was extended in some regions. Transport also came to a virtual standstill. Around 4,700 flights were cancelled at airports in New York and New Jersey.

Bus services were limited, and at times there was a driving ban. Schools and libraries remained closed. Falling trees tore down power lines, and there was flooding along the coast.

Up to one metre of snow fell in Rhode Island, more than 80 centimetres in Massachusetts and around 50 centimetres in New York.