Death toll in Bosnia and Herzegovina floods rises to 26
The death toll has risen to 26 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is experiencing its worst flood disaster in recent years.
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The number of people who lost their lives in the flood and landslide disaster that struck cities in the central and southern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina has risen to 26, after search and rescue teams recovered the body of one more person in the village of Donja Jablanica, near the city of Jablanica, on Monday.
The Civil Protection Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that search and rescue efforts are continuing for one person who is missing in the village of Buturovic Polje, near the city of Konjic.
According to reports by DHA, it was announced that after the disaster, which occurred 11 days ago and caused major damage to infrastructure, electricity has been restored to the entire region, but work is still underway to repair the telephone and water distribution networks.
More than a thousand volunteers have flocked to the region to help with search and rescue efforts and the clearing of debris piles.
A mass funeral prayer will be held today for those who lost their lives in the city of Jablanica, which was the most affected by the disaster and where 19 people died. The funeral prayer will be led by Huseyin Efendi Kavazovic, the Grand Mufti (Reis-ul-Ulema) of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the burials will take place.
QUARRY COLLAPSED, DEBRIS PILED UP IN THE VILLAGE
Heavy rains, which occurred on the night between Thursday and Friday, October 4, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and were effective in the cities of Jablanica, Kiseljak, Fojnica, Kresevo, and Konjic, caused floods, overflows, and landslides. In the village of Donja Jablanica, near Jablanica, where the highest number of casualties occurred, a quarry collapsed, and debris piled up on top of houses and vehicles in the village.
The flood disaster caused the emerald green Neretva River, which attracts great interest from tourists, to become polluted and filled with debris carried by the floodwaters. The worst flood disaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years occurred after a severe drought that affected much of the Balkans and Europe.
Experts stated that the drought that persisted throughout the summer prevented the easy absorption of floodwaters and increased the scale of the flooding.