Death toll from US 'Snowzilla' storm rises to 15

At least 15 people have died in six states as a result of the monster snow storm battering the eastern United States, officials said on Saturday.

Pedestrians walk through the snowy streets of the Upper East Side, New York.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed three people died shovelling snow, while officials in North Carolina said six people died in road accidents. Virginia and Kentucky each reported two fatalities, and one person died in both Maryland and Arkansas.

"It's a reminder to everyone - do not overexert, particularly folks having any kind of health challenges," De Blasio told CNN. The storm - dubbed "Snowzilla" - clobbered a large swath of the eastern US, dumping near-record amounts of snow on Washington, New York and other major cities.

New York shut down
A travel ban was slapped on Saturday on New York and its suburbs, with authorities shutting roads and cancelling rail service as a massive snow storm pummelling the US East Coast took aim at the Big Apple.

Road travel in the so-called downstate area of New York, Long Island and the lower Hudson valley was to begin at 14:30 local time, state Governor Andrew Cuomo announced.

Commuter trains connecting the suburbs to Manhattan were to be suspended from 16:00, along with above-ground subway service.
Bus services in New York has also been cut off.