Five killed in avalanches in Poland

Rescue teams in Poland say they are trying to recover the bodies of five people, including two of their officials, who were killed in avalanches in the country's southern Tatra mountains.

A spokesman for the mountain rescue service said the two rescuers were hit by an avalanche as they were trying to move the bodies of two skiers who had died on Sunday.

Another skier was killed in the south-western Karkonosze hills late on the same day. Avalanches are also reported to have blocked major roads in north-western Romania on Sunday, leaving several villages without electricity and dozens of tourists stranded.

No deaths were reported.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service