(ANSAmed) - SARAJEVO, 7 FEB - Hundreds of villages in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially in mountainous areas, are
overwhelmed by snow and isolated from the rest of the world due
to impassable roads. The only vehicles that can bring in
supplies and evacuate seriously ill people are helicopters,
widely used over these last few frosty and snow-bound days by
civil protection, the army and the EUFOR contingent (EU troops
stationed in the country). A dozen people have so far died due
to the icy weather throughout the country, where a state of
natural disaster has been declared.
The helicopters also bring food, medicines, blankets and other
basic material necessities. Sometimes they just throw the
parcels into areas where people can reach them. In recent hours
helicopters rescued several people in particular in the Foca
area (eastern Bosnia), helping the sick, like the five people
from Drežnica taken to Mostar for dialysis, or the woman giving
birth in Nevesinje taken to hospital in Mostar, also struggling
under nearly a metre of snow.
In the village of Glogosnica, in Jablonica district, residents shifted the snow for 11 hours to clear the road so a woman could have a dialysis session.
If the road from Foca to Mirjanovici village isn't cleared, the family of, Naza Andjelija, a 74 year-old woman who died three days ago, will have to bury her in land just outside their house as they cannot get to the cemetery two kilometres away.
In many cases people have been isolated for days without electricity and telephone connections, which are down due to the icy cold that has lowered thermometers to record temperatures close to -30c. There has been no electricity for four days in Neum, a resort on the Adriatic, while Mostar lost its power this morning. Yesterday morning, the body of 17 year-old Ejub Nadzak of Zeljezno Polje (central Bosnia) was found. He died on Thursday evening when, after school in the school of Zepce, he headed back his village on foot. The body was found at about 1 km from his home and it is assumed that he fell into a ravine and froze to death. The first death has also been recorded in Republika Srpska (RS, the Serb-majority republic within Bosnia-Herzegovina), an 87 year-old woman who lived alone in the village of Baraci in Mrkonjic Grad district, was found near to death by neighbours at home. She was taken to hospital, but died shortly after. A 24 year old Slovenian was found dead yesterday by a ski slope on Mount Jahorina, while an elderly man who was shovelling snow outside his house in Sokolac, on Mount Romanija, fell down some steps and died instantly.
In Sarajevo the snow is almost one metre thick. Public transport is operating in the plains while in hilly areas the situation remains very difficult with all the schools still closed. The trams were running again today, but with a reduced service.
(ANSAmed).
In the village of Glogosnica, in Jablonica district, residents shifted the snow for 11 hours to clear the road so a woman could have a dialysis session.
If the road from Foca to Mirjanovici village isn't cleared, the family of, Naza Andjelija, a 74 year-old woman who died three days ago, will have to bury her in land just outside their house as they cannot get to the cemetery two kilometres away.
In many cases people have been isolated for days without electricity and telephone connections, which are down due to the icy cold that has lowered thermometers to record temperatures close to -30c. There has been no electricity for four days in Neum, a resort on the Adriatic, while Mostar lost its power this morning. Yesterday morning, the body of 17 year-old Ejub Nadzak of Zeljezno Polje (central Bosnia) was found. He died on Thursday evening when, after school in the school of Zepce, he headed back his village on foot. The body was found at about 1 km from his home and it is assumed that he fell into a ravine and froze to death. The first death has also been recorded in Republika Srpska (RS, the Serb-majority republic within Bosnia-Herzegovina), an 87 year-old woman who lived alone in the village of Baraci in Mrkonjic Grad district, was found near to death by neighbours at home. She was taken to hospital, but died shortly after. A 24 year old Slovenian was found dead yesterday by a ski slope on Mount Jahorina, while an elderly man who was shovelling snow outside his house in Sokolac, on Mount Romanija, fell down some steps and died instantly.
In Sarajevo the snow is almost one metre thick. Public transport is operating in the plains while in hilly areas the situation remains very difficult with all the schools still closed. The trams were running again today, but with a reduced service.
(ANSAmed).
