Cold paralyzes Albania, causes many problems but no victims

TIRANA, Jan 5 – The freezing cold and snowstorms in the north and the east almost paralyzed areas of Albania.
Low temperatures were recorded throughout the country while snowstorms blocked many areas in the northeast and east in the country.
The situation was the most critical in northern Albania where snow cover is over 0.5 m thick.
In many areas there was no power. On Monday authorities said they had managed to repair most power lines and 95 percent of the country was now receiving electricity.
Many communes were isolated as roads were blocked by snow and ice.
Emergency authorities were created in all effected areas and interior and defense ministries were on top of efforts to free the main national roads.
Thousands of people in the districts of Tropoja, Kukes and Has, Puke and Shkodra were cut off and power transmission lines were seriously damaged.
The main port of Durres had to delay some of its ferries to wait for passengers coming from frozen roads passing through those areas.