More than 200,000 homes across Bosnia and Herzegovina faced power outages for a second consecutive day on Wednesday after a severe snowstorm caused significant disruption in several Balkan countries.

The worst-hit areas were in northwestern and central Bosnia, where ongoing power outages were reported by the country’s two main power utilities.

Although snowfall ceased on Wednesday, coinciding with the Catholic Christmas celebrations, many roads remained blocked, isolating towns and villages.

“Our teams are on-site, working tirelessly to restore power,” said Jelena Markovic, spokesperson for the Elektroprenos BiH distribution company.

She noted that most transmission lines were located in areas that remained inaccessible.

In neighboring Croatia, emergency services reported rescuing 48 individuals who had become trapped in snow in the central Lika region.

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Meanwhile, in Slovenia, rescuers struggled to reach a Hungarian hiker stranded in the Alps since Sunday due to strong winds and heavy snow preventing helicopter access.

Additionally, around 10,000 homes in western Serbia experienced power outages throughout much of Wednesday, although services were mostly restored by late in the day, according to Ivan Spajic, head of the emergency department in Sabac.