SARAJEVO: Bosnia and Herzegovina found itself in the icy grip of a relentless snowstorm on Tuesday, leaving over 170,000 people without electricity and cutting off entire regions from the outside world.
Despite round-the-clock repair efforts, the power situation worsened as the storm raged on. According to distributor Elektroprivreda BiH, 127,000 metering points remained powerless. Meanwhile, Elektrokrajina, servicing Republika Srpska municipalities, reported 50,000 users plunged into darkness.
“All hands are on deck,” stated Elektroprivreda BiH, as field teams braved the harsh conditions from early morning to address the outages.
In the western municipality of Drvar, a state of emergency was declared as fierce snowfall barricaded the town’s entry and exit points, isolating its 17,000 residents.
“The situation is dire. Snow continues to pile up, and people are stranded,” said Jasna Pecanac, head of the Drvar Municipal Council, describing snowdrifts reaching heights of up to two meters (6.5 feet). She pleaded for urgent assistance to clear the snow, noting that every available piece of machinery was already working tirelessly.
The storm’s impact extended beyond power outages and isolation. In Banja Luka, Bosnia’s second-largest city, elementary schools shuttered due to the weather. Similarly, the Una-Sana Canton in the northwest saw classes postponed in around 70 schools a day earlier.
As Bosnia battles the unforgiving storm, its residents face a chilling reality, with relentless snowfall making recovery an uphill climb.
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PRESS UPDATE