17 killed, flights grounded as deadly winter storm hits US

File: Snow storm

A major storm has hit parts of the United States of America, leaving at least 17 people dead and hundreds of thousands without power.

Deaths have been reported in New York, Tennessee, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Texas, where a 16-year-old girl was killed in a sledding accident, the BBC reported on Monday.

More than 10,000 flights have also been cancelled or delayed, while schools and roads across the country have been closed.

According to AFP, the monster storm barreling across the US on Monday prompted warnings to stay off the roads, mass flight cancellations and power outages after a weekend of misery.

The storm dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain across swathes of the country from Texas to New England, with temperatures set to fall dangerously low this week.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outdoors over the weekend, telling reporters, “There is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold.”

In Texas, authorities confirmed three deaths, including the 16-year-old killed in a sledding accident. Punch