Fresh Snowfall Prolongs Balkan Winter Weather Misery

The delivery of coal to the thermal power plant in Obrenovac improved the previous evening, Mrakic told state broadcaster RTS early on Monday morning.

"We are confident that there should be no power cuts unless power facilities suffer major accidents," the state secretary said. He noted that about 75 percent of electricity in Serbia was consumed by households.

Another weekend of snow caused Bosnia more of the problems it hoped it had dealt with last week. Many villages are still cut off from regular transport links, electricity and water.

Ante Ristanovic, from Malesici near the eastern Bosnian town of Zvornik, died from the consequences of freezing on Sunday. He is believed to be the 12th person to die as a result of the cold snap but that is only an approximate figure.

Life in Bosnian villages remains extremely hard, especially after some 15-20 centimeters of new snow fell, making the average height of snow lying in the country around one meter. On Mount Bjelasnica, the mountain outside Sarajevo which hosted events at the 1984 Winter Olympics, the height of the snow is around 2.55 metres.

The southern town of Nevesinje and surrounding villages are  blocked again after a weekend of new snowfall. People living in villages around Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia are running low on food supplies due to the snow.

Bosnian and foreign troops from the EUFOR force have been using helicopters to deliver food and medicines to people in isolated villages.

Power was restored in the eastern part of the city of Mostar but other areas in the south of the country are still without electricity.

Many roofs have collapsed under the weight of the snow, including those on Sarajevo's Skenderija sports centre and the west stand of the  Grbavica stadium of Zeljeznicar, one the city's two main football teams.

Schools and higher education institutions are not open this week, mirroring the situation of the previous week. Sarajevo airport is working without major problems but a few land border crossings are not open.

Meanwhile, the situation has worsened in Albania, causing Prime Minister Sali Berisha to declare a state of natural disaster in several regions.

“Half of the territory of Albania is covered by heavy snow,” Berisha said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday evening. “We will do everything possible to save the life of citizens and their property." 

According to local media, eight people have died in Albania during the past week due to the cold snap that has engulfed the country and most of Europe.

The interior ministry said aid was being delivered to vulnerable communities via trucks and helicopters, with the army’s chopper regiment operating at full capacity.

Worsening weather conditions in Montenegro prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency under a special fast-track procedure on Saturday.

As it was clear that parliament would not be able to reach a quorum, the decision was made by the Council for Defence and Security, with lawmakers to confirm their assent for the move later.

A train with 50 passengers and almost 30 special police officers has been stuck in the Trebjesnica station in the north of the country for more than two days. One passenger has died from a heart attack.

Northern villages remain cut off and face food shortages, with houses surrounded by more than two meters of snow in some cases. Several Montenegrin companies have decided to donate money to families suffering because of the weather.

Heavy snowfall which began on Friday piled up to take snow levels to record highs of more than half a metre in Podgorica. Weak roofs and houses, which were not built with such conditions in mind, have sustained damage and prompted anxiety among residents.

However, weather forecasters are predicting improvements in the next two days and some roads have been reopened while both Montenegrin airports, Podgorica and Tivat, were functioning normally on Monday.

Bulgaria has been gripped by fresh snowfall at the start of the week, accompanied by strong winds in the west and north of the country.

In Croatia, authorities announced that gas consumers who have not paid their bills will not have their supplies cut off while the extreme cold continues.

Bruno Lackovic, director of Zagreb City Gas Board, also assured customers that there were no failures or malfunctions in the gas infrastructure network.

"Despite record consumption, there is enough gas for all consumers," said Lackovic.