Rome, Feb 12 (IANS) One of the harshest winters in decades continued to grip Italy Saturday, bringing the toll to at least 60.

Transport and power services were disrupted by snowfalls in a number of small towns in central Italy, where thousands of people were forced to evacuate.

On Saturday, the toll rose to 60, many being elderly people who were found frozen to death, Xinhua quoted Rai television as saying.

Rome was put under high alert, with schools and public offices closed, while half of the flights from the capital's international airport were grounded.

Trains were delayed or cancelled throughout Italy, while stretches of railway track and highways were temporarily closed, which caused massive traffic jams that trapped thousands of motorists for hours.

The city massively increased its stock of salt and snow plows, banning from the roads cars without snow chains or snow tyres, while many citizens left supermarket shelves empty in anticipation of possible shop shortages, which prompted price rises.

Temperatures went below zero throughout Italy, reaching 20 degrees below zero in northern Piemonte region and 30 degrees below zero on Mount Rosa.

The cold snap, which experts say might last until the middle of the next week, drove some wild animals close to inhabited areas. A man was reportedly injured by a wolf near central Rimini while he was going to work.