At least 19 people were killed in flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainstorms in central and southern Bosnia-Herzegovina overnight, authorities said on October 4.
The bodies of 16 victims have been found in the Jablanica and Konjic municipalities in southern Bosnia, where rescue services continue to search for missing persons.
Three more people died in Fojnica in central Bosnia, the Civil Protection Service told RFE/RL.
Darko Jukan, spokesman for the authorities in Neretva Canton, said that in addition to the 19 confirmed dead, many others were missing and "a lot" of people had been injured.
"In some cases only parts of roofs can be seen. I cannot remember the crisis of such a magnitude since the [1992-95] war," he said.
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Deadly Floods Hit Bosnia Following Heavy Rain
The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo offered its sympathies, saying on X that it "extends its sincere condolences to all people in the communities affected by this devastating disaster."
The U.S. Agency for Investment and Development is closely coordinating with partner relief agencies in affected areas to assess damage and determine needs, the embassy said.
The heavy rainfall and landslides prompted authorities to declare a state of natural disaster in the Jablanica and Konjic areas, located halfway between the southern city of Mostar and the capital, Sarajevo, with the water in some villages rising over the roofs of houses.
Jukan said road access to the region was completely cut off, while telephone services had been partially interrupted.
Bosnian Defense Minister Zukan Helez told local TV that the army has been called in to help as the number of casualties mounted.
"Hour after hour we are receiving news about new victims…. We sent everyone we could," he said. "Our first priority is to save the people who are alive and buried in houses where the landslides are."
Bosnian media footage taken from drones showed villages and towns completely covered by water, while videos on social networks showed muddy torrents and damaged roads.
Landslides and overflowing rivers also destroyed bridges over the southern Drezanjka River while the road connecting the southern towns of Jablanica and Prozor-Rama collapsed and was swept into the water together with a railway line by a landslide, authorities said.
The road connects Sarajevo with the Adriatic coast and is one of Bosnia's busiest.
In the town of Komadonovo Vrelo, 10 kilometers south of Jablanica, a 50-meter stretch of the town's main road collapsed into the Neretva River.
Train services south of Sarajevo toward Mostar and the southern city of Capljina have been suspended, Bosnia's railways told RFE/RL.
Flash floods caused by heavy rains were also reported in Montenegro, south of Bosnia, while in Croatia strong winds and torrential rains closed several roads. Croatia's capital, Zagreb, was taking emergency measures in expectation of the Sava River overflowing its banks, local authorities reported.