Some 12,000 people without electricity in central Slovakia

Some 12,000 people in central Slovakia are starting the week without electricity, as roughly 150 electricity substations belonging to utility Stredoslovenska distribucna have been put out of operation by heavy sleet and winds, Miroslav Gejdos, the company's spokesman, has told TASR. "The outages are still accumulating. The worst situation can be found in the Kysuce and Orava areas, but we're also encountering problems in Liptov, Ziarska Kotlina and the vicinity of Banska Bystrica. Our employees are doing their utmost, but the circumstances are extremely challenging," Gejdos added.