Fears of another surge

MUCH of Serbia, Bosnia and eastern Croatia are under water. Flood maps marking the affected areas make it look as though a vast inland sea has suddenly appeared across the region. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. In Serbia some 300,000 do not have access to clean water or electricity. One third of Bosnia, an area that is home to 1.2m people, has been affected by the floods. So far the number of dead in Serbia and Bosnia is believed to be just under 50, a toll likely to rise.

A power plant in Obrenovac, in Serbia, that supplies electricity to Belgrade and a large part of the rest of the country, is at risk. In Bosnia, there have been fears that some 120,000 mines left over from the war, but whose location is generally known, could now shift. Landslides are hampering the work of rescue teams.

In only a few days around three months' worth of rain has fallen, so even the most prepared of countries would have been in trouble. So far emergency systems in Serbia and Croatia appear to have worked relatively well, but less so in Bosnia. Help is coming from across the region, the rest of Europe and Russia as well as...Continue reading