By ALEN MLATISUMA
Associated Press Writer
PODGORICA,
Yugoslavia (AP)--Flooding forced 2,000 people to flee their homes
and threatened historic monuments Friday in Montenegro, Yugoslavia's
smaller republic.
The rising
level of the Zeta River swamped sections of Danilovgrad and other
towns in the area, forcing residents to evacuate more than 400
homes.
``There are
problems all around,'' said Jaksa Djurovic, a city official in
Danilovgrad, who was frantically trying to coordinate rescue efforts.
``We are trying
to find accommodation for the (evacuated) people,'' Djurovic said,
adding that drinking water supplies and telephone services also
was disrupted.
Although rains
slacked off Friday, some residents were evacuated from the shores
of Lake Skadar, near the border with Albania.
A vital railroad
connecting the key seaport of Bar on the Adriatic Coast with inland
regions could be endangered if the rains continue, officials said.
In some areas,
people were moving to higher floors of houses and apartment buildings
while awaiting rescuers, who struggled to reach them by boat because
many roads were impassable.
In Cetinje,
Montenegro's ancient capital, boats evacuated dozens of people
while floodwaters threatened the medieval archives and the city's
treasured library.
The medieval
town of Kotor on the coast has been partly flooded since Thursday,
its cobblestone streets under water.
Meanwhile,
Serbia struggled with an acute electricity shortage caused by
low water levels at the reservoirs of the Yugoslav republic's
hydroelectric power stations.
Nearly all
parts of Serbia had electricity switched off for up to 12 hours
in recent days, and the outages continued Friday, with the government
announcing it would limit the outages to up to six hours per day.
The worst-ever
energy crisis in Serbia was beginning to undermine the popularity
of the new, pro-democracy leadership that replaced former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic.
Some sectors
of the capital, Belgrade, were paralyzed Thursday by protesters
who erected barricades, blocking roads and tram lines. The blackouts
made traffic lights fail on main squares and junctions, multiplying
traffic jams.
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