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[SUB]Firefighters dig a house out of the snow which threatens to crush the home of 77-year-old woman Elisabeta Dumitrache, in the village of Carligul Mic, Romania, Saturday, Feb. 11[/SUB]
An avalanche hit a village in Kosovo's mountainous south Saturday, killing a married couple and their 17-year-old son and leaving nine others missing, police said, as heavy snow continued to blanket the Balkans.
The village of Restelica, where the deaths occurred, and its region bordering Macedonia and Albania have been blocked by snow for several days, Kosovo police spokesman Baki Kelani said. NATO peacekeepers have been called in to help local authorities in the rescue operation.
In neighboring Montenegro, authorities proclaimed a state of emergency after the heaviest snow there in 63 years sealed off hundreds of villages, shut down roads and railways and closed the main airport in the tiny Balkan state on Saturday.
Snow virtually sealed off the capital Podgorica, closing its airport and hampering rail and road traffic. At 52 centimeters (20 inches) high, it was the biggest snowfall in the capital since 1949.
The state rail company said an avalanche had blocked a train's route near the mountain town of Kolasin and another engine had to rescue the 50 passengers.
The cold snap in Europe, which began in late January, has killed hundreds of people - most of them homeless. Boat traffic on the frozen Danube river - one of Europe's key waterways - has been unable to move for the longest time in recent memory.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=weather&id=8540252
