In a devastating turn of events, flash floods and landslides in central Bosnia-Herzegovina have resulted in at least 18 fatalities, leaving towns and villages isolated, with reports indicating that some homes are nearly submerged.
The Jablanica area, located on the key route connecting Mostar and the capital city, Sarajevo, approximately 70 kilometers to the northeast, experienced some of the worst damage.
Several individuals are also reported missing, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency.
Development Minister Vojin Mijatovic described the situation as a catastrophic disaster and urged the public to remain calm.
Heavy rainfall caused rivers to overflow, inundating numerous towns and villages, as aerial views reveal extensive flooding.
Infrastructure including roads, bridges, and railway lines has been severely impacted, with landslides burying homes beneath rocks and earth up to their upper floors.
The main M-17 highway, running alongside the River Neretva, is obstructed by debris near Jablanica, with a 17-kilometer stretch of railway significantly damaged between Ostrozac and Grabovica. A 200-meter segment of railway track is left hanging due to a landslide near Jablanica.
The local authorities in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton have advised motorists to steer clear of hazardous roads in the Jablanica vicinity.
In a report from a resident further east along the Neretva river, a homeowner recounted how their house was inundated at 3:30 AM on Friday, barely managing to rescue their son before fleeing to neighbors and watching their home collapse.
Additionally, around Kiseljak, 20 kilometers west of the capital, torrents of water flooded the streets, submerging vehicles.
The flooding crisis extends beyond Bosnia, affecting neighboring Montenegro, where roads have been washed away, leaving the village of Komarnica isolated.
In Croatia, water levels in various rivers are rising, with the Zagreb government warning of potential flooding in the city of Karlovac near the Kupa river.
Last month, much of Central Europe faced severe flooding, particularly impacting Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
According to scientists from the World Weather Attribution group, a particularly rainy four-day period was recorded in the region, exacerbated by climate change.
Europe has been identified as the fastest-warming continent, with the last five years averaging approximately 2.3°C warmer than the latter half of the 19th Century, according to the Copernicus climate service.
