Snow in Rome, Sarajevo as cold slams Europe

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Bosnia's government declared a state of emergency in its capital on Saturday after Sarajevo was paralyzed by snow, while in Rome residents dug out from the city's biggest snowfall in 26 years, which shut down the Colosseum.

The weeklong cold snap - the worst in decades in Eastern Europe - has killed at least 176 people, many of them homeless, especially in countries such as Ukraine.

In Rome, unusually heavy snow capped the dome of St. Peter's Basilica and the Roman Forum's ancient arches. It toppled trees, sending some crashing onto empty parked cars. Up to 8 inches had fallen in some neighborhoods, making buses and taxis scarce and stranding some motorists for hours.

About 4,000 government-issued shovels were handed out in several main piazzas to Romans trying to clear their streets before a forecast nighttime freeze.

In Sarajevo, more than three feet of snow fell Saturday, closing roads and public transportation.

Some neighborhoods reported water shortages, and residents struggled to make it to local shops to shore up on food. Several people said they witnessed fist fights in shops over loaves of bread.

But the crisis also produced camaraderie.

In one area of central Sarajevo, men shoveling the deep snow were being given tea, coffee, and hamburgers and meatballs that women had barbecued. One elderly man who didn't know how to help stood at an open window of his house playing his clarinet.

Schools have been closed in Bosnia for days because of the tough winter weather, and many travelers have been trapped on the country's roads since Friday evening.

"This is unbelievable. I can't remember snow like this in the past 30 years," said Mirsada Mitrovic, a resident of Sarajevo.

The state-of-emergency order said all schools must remain closed in Sarajevo, that women and children should stay at home, and that only men with essential jobs should report to work. It also ordered men who own shovels or vehicles big enough to plow snow to help the city clear the streets, especially ones leading to hospitals.

Officials in Serbia said about 60,000 people throughout the country remained cut off by the snow.