State of emergency in Austria, Bosnia and Serbia after severe floods
- 10 years ago
Severe flooding has led to a state of emergency being declared in Austria, Serbia and Bosnia.
In Bosnia, army helicopters rescued dozens of people stranded on the top floors of their homes in the central town of Maglaj.
These are the heaviest floods and worst rainfall the region has seen in 120 years.
In Serbia, at least five people have died after the equivalent of four month’s rainfall fell in just one day.
More than 6,000 people have been displaced and 300,000 homes are without electricity. Many towns and villages are completely cut off and emergency services are working around the clock to rescue people.
One woman who was evacuated from her village near Preljine in Slavica in the east of the country said: “Everything we have is flooded, destroyed, water is in the house, all the appliances are under water.”
Another said: “This is a catastrophe, we have lost all of our furniture, we have nowhere to sleep, it’s all gone”
In Lower Austria, several villages have been cut off with roads closed and houses flooded. Some drivers got caught in the floods but were rescued by the fire brigade.
More rain is forecast over the weekend, although it is expected to be less intense.
In Bosnia, army helicopters rescued dozens of people stranded on the top floors of their homes in the central town of Maglaj.
These are the heaviest floods and worst rainfall the region has seen in 120 years.
In Serbia, at least five people have died after the equivalent of four month’s rainfall fell in just one day.
More than 6,000 people have been displaced and 300,000 homes are without electricity. Many towns and villages are completely cut off and emergency services are working around the clock to rescue people.
One woman who was evacuated from her village near Preljine in Slavica in the east of the country said: “Everything we have is flooded, destroyed, water is in the house, all the appliances are under water.”
Another said: “This is a catastrophe, we have lost all of our furniture, we have nowhere to sleep, it’s all gone”
In Lower Austria, several villages have been cut off with roads closed and houses flooded. Some drivers got caught in the floods but were rescued by the fire brigade.
More rain is forecast over the weekend, although it is expected to be less intense.