Montenegro requests NATO to help deal with snow storm
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E-mail Xinhua, February 13, 2012
Montenegro, which has been paralyzed by inclement winter weather, is seeking assistance from NATO in dealing with traffic and electrical supply problems, reported the Serbian news agency Tanjug on Sunday.
Prime Minister Igor Luksic said a letter would be sent to NATO headquarters in Brussels outlining specified items and equipment.
He said some NATO member states had already contacted Montenegro to inquire how they could help. Montenegro is a part of NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP) and is working toward full membership of the military alliance.
"I expect that in the next few days there will be a positive response for our request for assistance," said Luksic.
Accumulated snow levels have exceeded 230cm on Montenegro's ski resort of Zabljak. Most urban centers in the country are struggling with one meter of snow, which are threatening many house roofs.
Part of the roof of the Clinic for Dermatology Clinical Center in Podgorica collapsed under the weight of snow. No one was reported injured, although nine patients were evacuated from the clinic after the incident.
Most roads through the mountainous interior of the country remain closed, while transport in the capital of Podgorica has come to a stand-still. Some of its suburbs are without electricity.
On Sunday, a passenger died on a train, which had been stranded in the mountainous terrain near Kolasin due to a number of avalanches.
