Search parties scour Bosnia for those reported missing following fatal flash floods.
After at least 16 individuals lost their lives due to intense flash floods and landslides in Bosnia-Herzegovina, emergency response teams were on the lookout for around ten more missing people. The town of Jablanica was put under lockdown, with heavy machinery clearing debris and rocks from the sites.
Heavy rainfall over the course of Friday night resulted in extensive flooding in both Jablanica and Konjic areas. Several homes were fully submerged, with residents caught off-guard during the night. Among the reported fatalities, a baby was among the victims, as per official records. Numerous individuals also sustained injuries.
The floodwater induced landslides that swept away roads and hills, leaving several villages submerged in mud and severing connections to entire areas. Bosnian media reported a horrific incident at the village of Donja Jablanica, where rocks from a nearby quarry crashed down, engulfing multiple homes.
Alka Gusic, who resided in Donja Jablanica, was jolted awake by a bone-chilling rumble in the middle of the night. She initially believed it was an earthquake but ventured outside the next morning. Her brother and his entire family were among the casualties. "The house is completely destroyed, no one survived," she said emotionally. "I spotted my brother's son being extracted from the debris. He was on the ground, clearly deceased."
On Saturday, some towns near Konjic were still inaccessible. "Kilometers of roads have vanished, almost all the bridges are destroyed," Husein Hodzic of the local civil protection unit informed regional TV station N1. "There's no electricity, all the power lines have been washed away. Telephone lines are also non-existent."
Electoral officials in the affected districts announced the postponement of municipal elections scheduled for Sunday.
Search and rescue teams are still actively looking for the missing individuals amidst the chaos and debris. With several villages cut off and communication lines disrupted, the number of missing people might unfortunately increase.
