Death toll in Bosnia’s floods reaches 26

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The death toll from this month’s devastating floods and landslides in Bosnia has reached 26 people, while rescue teams are searching for at least one more person still missing 10 days after a rainstorm caused havoc in the Balkan country, authorities said Monday. 

Torrential rains and winds hit four municipalities in central and southern Bosnia on October 4. Homes, roads and bridges were destroyed, leaving villages cut off without roads or power. 

Rescue teams have been sifting through the rubble for days, looking for those still missing. The hardest-hit area was in and around the southern town of Jablanica, where a village was buried in rocks from a quarry on a hill above. 

Local government said 19 people died in Jablanica, where a collective funeral will be held on Tuesday. Four people died in Konjic, east of Jablanica, and three more in Fojnica further north. 

Residents in the Jablanica area have said they heard a thundering rumble that woke them up in the middle of the night. They watched as houses disappeared before their eyes. 

The debris that was swept away from the flood-hit areas has clogged the otherwise perfectly clear, emerald green-colored Neretva River that is a favorite destination for visitors and locals alike. 

All kinds of debris, from pieces of wood to home appliances, has piled up by a hydroelectric dam on the Neretva, creating a virtual island of waste on the river and illustrating the devastation the floods have caused. 

Human-caused climate change increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air holds more moisture. This summer, the Balkans were also hit by long-lasting record temperatures, causing a drought. Scientists said the dried-out land has hampered the absorption of floodwaters.
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