Winter Youth Olympics in South Korea hit by heavy snowfall

SEOUL (Reuters) - Heavy snow interrupted some events at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in South Korea's Gangwon province on Saturday, with thousands of officials armed with snow-removal gear deployed to clear the way for events to continue.

The city of Gangneung in the province had seen more than 28 centimetres (11 inches) of snowfall as of 5 p.m. local time, and the nearby city of Samcheok had 25.8 cm, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Korea Meteorological Administration.

A heavy snow advisory has been in effect in mountainous regions of the province, as more snow is expected through Sunday, the agency said.

The provincial government office said in a statement it had declared an emergency and launched protocols to ensure the safety of participants in the Games as well as of residents.

It said it had mobilized 5,620 officials and 693 pieces of snow removal equipment to tackle the problem.

The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, open to athletes aged 15-18, began on Friday and runs until Feb. 1.

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Hugh Lawson)