HEAVY SNOWFALL IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Nov 30 (Hina) - Owing to a heavy snowfall in Croatia in the last two days, a state of emergency has been declared in the counties of Zagreb, Karlovac, Sisak, Bjelovar, Varazdin, Medjimurje and Lika. Road traffic in part of the country has been discontinued or is flowing with great difficulty, while considerable delays have been reported in air and railway transport. This morning trains were late between 30 and 100 minutes on arrival, and some were cancelled. At Zagreb's Pleso Airport yesterday, planes had difficulties taking off although runways wear cleared of snow. This morning flights went according to schedule. The north and south of Croatia are completely cut off since the Karlovac-Senj road has been closed to traffic. Because of slippery road conditions, the Adriatic motorway was closed between Novi Vinodolski and Karlobag until noon today, when it opened only for vehicles weighing under five tonnes. At the same time resumed a ferry service between the mainland and the island of Pag. The Karlovac-Rijeka road is the only road connecting continental Croatia with the Adriatic. School classes have been cancelled in Zagreb, Karlovac, Varazdin and many other towns. About 70 cm of snow prevented 50 percent of people in Varazdin from going to work this morning. A casualty hospital in Zagreb admitted 15 people by 10 a.m. today and 58 overnight. Seventy Winter Service crews are on the ground, trying to clear the snowbound streets of Zagreb. The Civil Protection has helped engage about 1,500 people, which is still not enough. Such a great amount of snow has fallen that there is hardly any place for its disposal, so that the Winter Service is planning to dump the snow into the Sava river tonight. Zagreb Mayor Branko Miksa said yesterday that there were problems with inadequate equipment. Delays were also reported in tram and bus traffic in Zagreb. Sixteen bus services were cancelled this morning, while 25 ran shorter routes.According to the Zagreb Police Department, only 3 car accidents were recorded overnight and 7 in the morning, in which no one was injured. This morning the highest snow was measured in Bjelovar, 79 cm, in Krizevci 75 cm, and in Zagreb 45 cm. 301417 MET nov 93