Seven people were killed in two bus crashes on snowy roads yesterday as a severe winter storm caused traffic chaos across Spain. The storm blanketed much of northern and eastern Spain with snow and ice, forcing the closure of dozens of roads and mountain passes.

Five women, on an organised trip for a widows' group, died when the bus they were travelling in overturned on a snow-covered road 50 km from the Mediterranean city of Alicante, the fire department said. Another 15 of the 52 passengers were hurt, eight seriously, regional officials said.

The bus skidded and overturned, blocking the road after overtaking several cars, a government official in the region, Etelvina Andreu, told reporters. Police arrested the bus driver on suspicion of reckless driving, Andreu said.

Two people died when another bus overturned near Campomanes, 350 km north of Madrid, in another area where it had been snowing heavily, the emergency services said. The bus, carrying 15 people, was going from Pontevedra on the west coast to Gijon on the north coast. Three of the passengers were seriously injured and nine slightly injured, the emergency services said.