Torrential floods swept away homes, roads, and bridges in what officials are calling the worst natural disaster to hit the country since 2014.

The municipality of Jablanica, located approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Sarajevo, has been particularly hard hit. The area has been completely isolated, with road and rail links destroyed by the flooding. Civil Defense authorities reported that between 20 and 40 individuals are still missing, either trapped under rubble from landslides or carried away by the powerful floodwaters.

In addition to the fatalities, numerous homes have been reduced to rubble by the landslides, further exacerbating the devastation. Rescue teams are struggling to reach the affected areas due to the severe damage to infrastructure.

Officials have warned that the death toll could rise further as search and rescue operations continue and more areas become accessible. The flooding has prompted emergency declarations, with authorities appealing for international assistance to help manage the crisis and provide aid to the survivors.

This disaster marks Bosnia’s worst flooding in at least a decade, recalling memories of the 2014 floods, which claimed over 20 lives. (ILKHA)