The Centre said that several thousand refugees were in the two convoys hit by NATO air raids.

Earlier, residents of Meha village, some five kilometres from the border with Albania, said that NATO planes had attacked the area shortly after 1.30 am (5 pm IST. An AFP reporter at the scene saw at least 20 dead and and four injured villagers in Meha.

Meanwhile, NATO members appear to be looking to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to help find a lasting solution to the Balkan crisis in the backdrop of continuing NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia and doubts over their efficacy, Diplomats here say that after being sidelined for weeks, Annan is being encouraged by the Security Council to play a role, but according to his spokesman Fred Eckhard ``he's not ready to jump in with both his feet''.

Annan, who had been criticised forremaining in the background as the human crisis unfolded in Kosovo, last week announced a five-point proposal which, if accepted by Yugoslavia, could lead to the end of the strikes.

The 15-member Security Council sent to Annan a unanimous statement supporting his initiative which is considered significant as the Council has five NATO members on it. Though the proposals are more or less on the lines of the NATO position, diplomats said there could be room for changes to make them palatable to both sides.

Annan continues to stay in touch with all parties and he intends to preserve his availability as a neutral actor should member states decide he could play a role, Eckhard said. Diplomats say Eckhard's statement showed Annan would be willing to play a role provided he sees a chance of success.

Annan had sent a letter to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic last Friday urging an end to ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo and to allow deployment of an international military force to assure safety ofthe returning refugees. NATO members led by the US had till now tried to keep the Security Council and the UN out of the conflict, fearing Russian and Chinese opposition to the force being used.