Tens of thousands of homes in Bosnia were left without power today due to heavy snowfall and wind, which also caused road chaos in Croatia and Serbia, the Associated Press reported.
In Slovenia, strong winds temporarily suspended the search for an injured Hungarian tourist who went missing in the Alps north of the capital Ljubljana on Sunday.
Yesterday, rescuers found his companion and took her to safety, but they were unable to find the man and were unable to use a helicopter because of strong winds.
Authorities in several Western Balkan countries issued warnings of road difficulties as snowdrifts closed some major routes, including sections of highways in Croatia.
Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia have banned heavy goods vehicles and imposed traffic restrictions on affected roads.
Railway traffic has been completely halted in parts of Bosnia due to the snow.
Bosnia's state-owned energy company described the situation as "extremely severe" in some parts of the country. The heavy wet snow has damaged power lines that are difficult to access due to snowdrifts, the company said in a statement.
Regional broadcaster En1 reported that dozens of vehicles were stuck in the snow for 10 hours overnight near the town of Drvar, western Bosnia, before being able to continue. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency while efforts are underway to clear the snow.
The head of the town's municipal council, Jasna Pecanac, said the town was completely cut off from the rest of the world and all exits were blocked, Bosnian broadcaster BHRT reported. According to her, the snowdrifts in some villages are up to two meters, clearing is being hampered by a strong storm, and many households are without electricity.