State of emergency declared in several locations

BELGRADE - Heavy rains and rising water levels in Serbian rivers caused a state of emergency in Valjevo, western Serbia, and several other municipalities on Wednesday, while 6 people were evacuated from the village of Dublje, near Valjevo.

The evacuated were found in a vehicle they used to as a shelter from the rising water, the sector for emergencies told Tanjug, adding that two of the evacuees were students and another was a woman.

The state of emergency was declared in the municipalities of Ljig, Gornji Milanovac, Lajkovac and Ub, but reports by inspectors on th eground say that another 10 or so places around the country are also under threat.

Ljig Mayor Miodrag Starcevic told Tanjug that three minor rivers had overflown and put six houses at risk and caused several local roads to be shut down.

"We are aving problems with returning primary school students home drom school," he stated, adding that classes in primary and secondary schools in that municipality would be cancelled for the next two days.

Hundreds of hectares of land around Kosjeric are under water after the river Skrapez and local mountain streams flooded the area. "The water has entered some homes as well," Kosjeric Mayor Milija Stojanic said, adding that declaring a state of emergency was being considered.

Emergency flood defence measures have been put in force along the entire Kolubara river and some roads have been closed in the municipality of Loznica.

It has been raining in most of Serbia for the past two days and heavy rains, cold weather and strong winds are expected to continue in the coming days as well, so the national weather service has issued warnings about rising water levels in all rivers.

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