Belgrade - One person has died and hundreds have been injured in Serbia after slipping on ice caused by freezing rain that's been falling for days, local media reported Thursday.

An elderly man died Thursday after falling on ice, while emergency rooms around the country are packed with people that have suffered broken arms, legs or hips.

More than 850 people were treated in Belgrade's Clinical Centre alone in the past 48 hours, hospital's spokesman Drago Jovanovic told journalists. "This is the worst rush we had in the past 15 years," he said.

Doctors have warned elderly people to stay indoors and wear appropriate shoes since the freezing rain that has fallen for two days in most of the Balkans was expected again on Thursday night.

Belgrade mayor Dragan Djilas called on companies to change working hours, if possible, from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, since the largest number of accidents occur in the early morning.

Djilas also said the start of the spring semester in schools might be postponed by a few days if the rain and sub-zero temperatures persist. Schools are due to open on Wednesday.

Hundreds of people have been injured in traffic accidents on slippery roads over the past two days. (dpa)