Albanian floods turn deadly as downpours force more evacuations

The body of a man was pulled from floodwaters in Albania on Thursday, police said, as swollen rivers in the country's south forced more evacuations following days of heavy snow and torrential rain across the Balkans.

The man's death is one of at least eight weather-related deaths across Europe as a cold snap sweeps large parts of the continent, cancelling hundreds of flights amid snow, ice and high winds.

Albanian police said the body of a 54-year-old man was found in an irrigation canal after he was swept away in the port city of Durres, where hundreds were evacuated.

Although recovery efforts were under way in parts of the city, some outlying areas remained at risk as a nearby river overflowed, forcing another 500 people to evacuate on Thursday morning.

Further south, an evacuation order was also issued for parts of the village of Novosela as the nearby Vjosa River burst its banks. It was unclear how many residents were affected.

Downpours had also triggered landslips and blocked roads in several parts of the country, police said.

Flooding has also forced evacuations in parts of nearby Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Some towns in western Serbia have been without power for several days after a snowstorm downed trees, knocking out the electricity supply.

The heavy snow also left one woman dead in Sarajevo earlier this week, after she was struck by a falling tree in the Bosnian capital.

Warnings for icy conditions and further snow remain in place across several Balkan countries.