BRUSSELS, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Much of Europe on Wednesday plunged into near record icy weather, leading to a spate of road accidents and the death of at least four people.

    In Switzerland, temperatures in a village of la Brevine close to the frontier with France even dived to minus 34.4 Celsius. The temperatures in Rome also fell to one of their lowest level in 200 years, with a record low for the country of minus 32 Celsius in the mountains separating Umbria and the Marches.

    Three Romanians, including a one-month baby, died of the cold, and temperatures in the capital, Bucharest, fell to minus 20 Celsius, the lowest level in March since 1900.

    In Portugal, a 92-year-old man died in his own house without heating system in Evora, 150 km southeast of Lisbon.

    Electricity consumption hit the highest point and fuel oil suppliers said they were running out of stock.

    The snow and ice also hampered traffic across the European continent and led to a spate of road accidents. The canal linking Berlin with the Polish port of Szczecin has also been blocked due to the 14-centimeter thick ice. Enditem