SARAJEVO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from rain-triggered flash floods in central Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has risen to 19, according to local government reports.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) confirmed that 16 individuals, including a baby, have been killed in the Jablanica municipality. Efforts are underway to save the mother of the infant, as stated by an HNC official.
Additionally, the civil protection services of Central Bosnia Canton have reported three deaths in Fojnica, located approximately 50 km from the capital city of Sarajevo. A significant number of people are currently missing in Jablanica and Konjic, areas along the Neretva River, a major waterway in the country.
Darko Juka, a public relations official with the HNC government, indicated that emergency services are working tirelessly to rescue victims and transport them to medical facilities. The situation is dire in Donja Jablanica village, which has been completely isolated due to collapsed roadways. Rescue teams are utilizing boats provided by the Armed Forces and other emergency services to reach the affected areas.
Severe flooding has disrupted roadways and isolated several municipalities. Miroslav Jakic, the director of civil protection administration for Central Bosnia Canton, confirmed that all rivers and streams in the region have overflowed their banks, prompting civil protection teams to head to the impacted areas.
The Donja Jablanica area has been particularly hard-hit by recent storms, with a 200-meter section of the railway system destroyed, halting rail services between Sarajevo and Capljina, a southern municipality. The Railways of the Federation of BiH (ZFBiH) reported severe infrastructure damage, with ongoing restoration efforts.
Authorities have urged citizens to avoid traveling to the hardest-hit regions. BiH's Minister of Defense, Zukan Helez, has deployed the Armed Forces to assist in rescue operations and protect civilians. The Ministry of Security has confirmed that additional support, including helicopters, has been requested for the affected regions.
The BiH Council of Ministers has pledged to allocate funds from the national budget reserves to aid victims of the recent heavy rains. Finance and Treasury Minister Srdjan Amidzic assured that assistance would be directed to the most affected areas for relief and recovery efforts, stating, 'I believe that we will be strong enough together to overcome this disaster.'