VIENNA, March 25 (RIA Novosti) - A Swiss woman was killed on Tuesday and 37 people were injured in a car pile-up near Saltzburg, Austria, as vehicles lost control on thick road ice amid heavy snowfall, local police said.

The accident took place on the A1 autobahn between Seewalchen and St. Georgen in Upper Austria. The Swiss woman died when she was thrown out of her car in a collision, and run over by a heavy goods vehicle.

Four people reportedly suffered severe injuries. Eyewitnesses said at least 60 cars were involved in the pileup, and described scenes of utter chaos. Rescue efforts have been hampered by continuing snowfall.

Freezing temperatures and heavy snow have hit western Europe over the past few days, in an unusually late cold spat, bringing traffic to a standstill in parts of Germany and the Netherlands, and delaying flights and trains. The snowstorm has also disrupted ferry traffic in Italy and Greece.