- BELGRADE, Serbia: Three people have died and two more are missing in central and southern Serbia amid heavy snow and freezing temperatures, authorities said Monday.
Authorities in 14 municipalities throughout the country have introduced emergency measures to deal with the situation.
Police said a woman froze to death in a snow storm in a central village, while an elderly man was found dead in the snow outside his home. An 81-year-old died in his snow-covered home in the same area.
Further south, emergency crews are searching for two men in their 70s, who are feared dead.
Authorities urged elderly people to stay indoors as temperatures dropped to minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country.
Heavy snow also caused problems in traffic and power supplies, leaving thousands without electricity for much of the past week.
Clearup efforts have been additionally hampered by strong winds, said police official Goran Nikolic.
Snow has caused trouble in other parts of the Balkans as well.
