A snowstorm hit Bosnia and Herzegovina. More than 200,000 homes were without electricity on Wednesday. Heavy snowfall led to traffic paralysis, and some towns were cut off from the world. It also turned white in Serbia and Croatia.
It snowed heavily on Christmas Eve in the north-west and central parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In some places, snowdrifts reached a height of about two meters. The rainfall led to significant disruptions on the roads. Truck traffic is banned on main routes. Authorities said many cars were stuck in snowdrifts and roadside assistance was needed.
The violent weather caused over 200,000 homes to be without electricity on Wednesday. “Our teams are on site at all times, doing everything they can to restore power,” said Jelena Markovic, spokeswoman for distribution company Elektroprenos BiH. She said most of the transmission lines were in inaccessible areas. According to local media, some towns were cut off from the world.
Rail traffic in the regions most affected by snowstorms was also suspended.
Heavy snowfall in Bosnia and HerzegovinaENEX
Serbia and Croatia under snow
Snow also fell in neighboring Croatia. On Wednesday, rescue teams helped 48 people stuck in snowdrifts in the central Lika region of the country.
In Slovenia, authorities said strong winds and snow prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching a Hungarian tourist who had been stranded in the Alps since Sunday. More than 10,000 houses in the western part of the country were without electricity on Wednesday, the Tanjug agency reported, quoting Ivan Spajic, head of the department for emergencies in the city of Sabac. By the end of the day, power was mostly restored.
Reuters, ENEX, vijesti.ba