SARAJEVO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from rain-triggered flash floods in central Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has risen to 19, the local government said on Friday.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) confirmed that 16 individuals have been killed so far in the Jablanica municipality, including a baby. Doctors are racing against time to save the mother, an official from HNC said.
In addition, the civil protection services of Central Bosnia Canton have confirmed three deaths in Fojnica, some 50 km from the capital city of Sarajevo.
A large number of people have been reported missing in Jablanica and Konjic, along the Neretva River, one of the country's major waterways.
Darko Juka, a public relations official with the HNC government, said that emergency services are doing everything possible to rescue victims and transport them to nearby medical facilities.
The most critical situation is in Donja Jablanica village, which has been completely cut off due to collapsed roads. Rescue teams use boats provided by the Armed Forces and other emergency services to reach the area.
Severe flooding has also disrupted roadways, isolating several municipalities. Miroslav Jakic, director of the civil protection administration of Central Bosnia Canton, confirmed that all rivers and streams in the region have overflowed their banks, and civil protection teams are en route to the affected areas.
The Donja Jablanica area has been especially hard-hit by the recent storms, which destroyed a 200-meter section of the railway system, suspending rail services between Sarajevo and Capljina, a southern municipality.
The Railways of the Federation of BiH (ZFBiH) confirmed that the damage to infrastructure was severe, and restoration efforts were ongoing. Authorities continue to urge 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 efforts and protect civilians. The Ministry of Security confirmed that additional support, including helicopters, has been requested for the affected regions.
The BiH Council of Ministers on Friday promised to allocate funds from the national budget's reserves to assist victims of recent heavy rains.
Finance and Treasury Minister Srdjan Amidzic confirmed that aid would be allocated to the most affected areas, to be used for relief and recovery efforts. "I believe that we will be strong enough together to overcome this disaster," Amidzic said in a statement. ■
