Balkans under rainstorm: Dead in Bosnia

Stuhi reshjesh kanë goditur Ballkanin Perëndimor e priten të vazhdojnë edhe në fundjavë. Si pasojë e shirave e rrëshqitjeve të dheut në Bosnje-Hercegovinë ka pasur mjaft të vdekur. Edhe në Vlorë pati përmbytje.

2024-10-05 08:53:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Images on social media show how quickly the rains flooded roads and buildings in many countries in the Western Balkans. The most serious situation is in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At least 16 people have died in severe floods and landslides in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local authorities and the Civil Protection Office say the exact number of victims is still unknown and that the death toll from the floods is likely to rise. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most affected is a mountainous region about 30 kilometers north of the city of Mostar. The dead bodies were found in the mountainous region of Jabllanica, which is located 70 kilometers southwest of Sarajevo. In the photographs published in the local media, it appears that many buildings were covered by the landslides. Only the minaret could be seen from a mosque.

"The situation is very serious, many people cannot leave their homes," wrote the prime minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Niksic, on Platform X. According to district spokesman Darko Jukan, the town of Jabllanica, with a population of 4,000, it has no connection with the world at the moment. The government in Bosnia-Herzegovina created a crisis headquarters and declared a state of emergency.

Even in Albania, the situation in some cities worsened within a few minutes yesterday. The worst situation is in Vlora, where several neighborhoods were flooded, some roads and intersections are still blocked. There are also problems on the connecting road of the Vlorë-Fier highway with the Trans-Balkan highway.

The rains may hamper the efforts of the rescue teams
Even in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are problems with blocked roads. Aldin Brasnjic, head of the Bosniak-Croat federation's Civil Protection Office, said rescue teams have not yet been able to penetrate some villages because of blocked roads. He said the rains predicted over the weekend will make their efforts even more difficult.

Even in the town of Kiseljak, about 20 kilometers from Sarajevo, many houses, gardens and cars are under water, the AFP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Croatia also issued a flood warning for the coastal city of Rijeka and inland areas of the country.

Scientists have long warned that climate change is increasing the likelihood, intensity and duration of extreme weather events such as torrential rains./DW