Record flooding in the BalkansThe worst flooding since records began 120 years ago have hit the Balk
Record flooding in the BalkansThe worst flooding since records began 120 years ago have hit the Balkan nations of Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina after three months worth of rain fell in three days last week creating an ongoing catastrophe. Fully a third of Bosnia (in the northeast) has turned into a muddy lake, 25 fatalities are confirmed so far and tens of thousands have evacuated the region for drier ground. Over a million people (25% of the population) live in the affected area of Bosnia alone.Rivers surged swiftly into homes across the region, sometimes reaching the second floor and the electricity and water distribution systems are down across wide parts of the region, hampering rescue efforts. It is proving difficult to even assess the extent of the damage. Dozens of landslides have occurred and there are fears that many landmines from the war in the 1990’s have been uncovered and spread around the landscape, or the signs marking danger areas washed away.Serbia’s main electricity plant, already running at limited capacity as the coal mine that feeds it has been flooded may have to be shut down, and people have been asked to limit electricity use to a minimum. Hydropower plants are also down across the affected area.The number of fatalities is expected to rise as rescue services gradually penetrate into the affected areas. Further waves of flooding are making their way down the catchment areas towards the sea. Desperate attempts to build defences manned by volunteers in towns along the affected rivers are ongoing and states of emergency are in force.LozImage credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters/Landovhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/18/thousands-flee-floods-bosnia-serbiahttp://www.buzzfeed.com/miriamberger/21-photos-of-the-worst-floods-to-hit-the-balkans-in-120-yearhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/17/floods-serbia-bosnia-rain-balkanshttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27439139http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/17/balkans-flooding-more-rain-expected-as-emergency-services-evacuate-towns/ -- source link
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