DHAKA: A massive blizzard bringing more than 2ft (61cm) of snow and punishing winds is advancing up the US East Coast.

More than 50 million people across more than a dozen states have been warned to stay at home as it moves north, reports the BBC.

The nation's capital, Washington, could lie under a record 30in (76cm) of snow by the time the storm passes on Sunday.

Eight people have been killed, six states have declared states of emergency and thousands of flights have been cancelled.

The weather system affects a huge swathe of the country, from Arkansas in the south to Massachusetts in the north-east.

Supermarkets ran out of food amid a rush for supplies before the first snowflakes fell on Friday.

BDST: 0940 HRS, JAN 23, 2016
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