Floods in Bosnia, Croatia also affected

Floods in Bosnia, Croatia also affected

BANJA LUKA, ZAGREB -- Almost the entire territory of the Serb entity in Bosnia, the RS, has been hit by floods, but there are no casualties, Nebojša Radojičić has said.

The town of Doboj and the areas along the Bosna and Drina rivers are where the situation is the most difficult, with rescue teams providing assistance to the afflicted population, the RS assembly speaker said late on Thursday at an extraordinary press conference.

Most distress calls came from Doboj, and saving human lives is the priority, the media quoted Radojičić as saying.

The situation in the Bijeljina area has worsened, too, due to the rising level of the Drina river, he said, adding that the Vrbas River is also rising near Banja Luka, leaving some towns flooded, with a bridge in Priječani crushed by the water.

In some areas, assistance could not be provided and helicopters were sent to rescue the population, in particular patients in dangerous conditions.

Due to heavy rainfall and floods, a state of emergency has been declared in Prnjavor after it was estimated that the situation in the municipality has worsened since the introduction of urgent flood defence measures some ten days ago.

A landslide hit eight homes in Podgaj in the Sarajevo municipality of Vogošća, leaving several people injured.

EUFOR troops are on standby to help the Bosnia-Herzegovina authorities in the flood-stricken areas once the weather conditions improve, Radojičić said.

Croatia hit by floods

Croatia is struggling with the consequences of Thursday's storms and heavy rainfall - the situation is the most dramatic in the Slavonia and Posavina regions...