Six killed as blizzards cause chaos across the Balkans

Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall have left at least six people dead and caused travel chaos across the Balkans, with rescue teams struggling to reach passengers stranded in buses and cars in Serbia.

Officials said four people had died in Croatia and two in Serbia as a result of blizzards in south-western Europe over the weekend that closed airports and roads and blocked public transport in big cities.

People travelling in vehicles waited for hours on several roads in Serbia’s northern province of Vojvodina, including the main route from Belgrade to the Hungarian border, before rescue teams could free them from 20 inches of snow that had fallen in just a few hours.

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A woman gave birth to a healthy baby in a stranded truck on her way to a hospital and named her Snezana, or Snow White in Serbian, state TV reported.

Ivica Dacic, who serves as Serbia’s prime minister and interior minister, ordered all available police personnel to 
take part in the rescue operations.

The airport in the Croatian capital Zagreb was closed for several hours on Saturday and some of the country’s roads were shut because of high winds and heavy snow.

The situation improved in Croatia yesterday, but a warning against driving remained in place because of the number of icy roads.

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Authorities in Serbia and Croatia warned people to stay indoors.

Blizzards also hit Slovenia and Bosnia. As the storms headed east across the Balkans yesterday, Romania’s army was trying to clear snowbound roads as the country voted in a parliamentary election.