Heavy rainfall in recent days has battered parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina, causing widespread flooding in residential and commercial areas and triggering landslides.
A state of natural disaster has been declared in cities and towns in the western and northwestern parts of the country, officials said on May 17. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
More than 200 residential buildings were flooded in the northern town of Bosanska Krupa after the Una and Krusnica rivers overflowed.
"We have yet to establish the extent of the damage. Some local access roads to the city have been cut off," Mayor Armin Halitovic told RFE/RL.
The town of Bihac, in northwestern Bosnia, has been confronted with the most difficult situation, with more than 200 buildings flooded, local officials said.
WATCH: Days of torrential rain have caused flooding in the north of Bosnia-Herzegovina after rivers breached their banks. The Una and Sana rivers spilled onto surrounding farmland and filled homes, affecting hundreds of residents of the rural areas. The cities of Bihac, Krupa, and Cazin are among the municipalities most impacted by the flooding.
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Bosnian Flooding Inundates Hundreds Of Homes, Vast Farmland
Muhamed Pecenkovic, from the Cantonal Civil Protection, told RFE/RL that the main road to Bihac as well as a large number of local roads have been closed due to the flooding.
In Velika Kladua, in the northwestern corner of the country, six houses were completely flooded, while 30 houses remain at risk of flooding.
Two villages were completely cut off from the municipality and the local school was flooded, which is why classes were canceled May 17.
A flood emergency was also declared in the municipalities of Novi Grad and Kostajnica where more than 10 residential buildings were flooded.
Emergency services decided to cancel classes in primary and secondary schools in the area on May 17.
Citizens organized watches overnight and worked to fill all the cracks and openings along the dykes to prevent water from seeping into residential areas.
In the northwestern town of Prijedor, the Sana River overflowed, flooding several dozen buildings and cutting access on some local roads. A flood alert has been put into force in town.