A state of emergency has been declared in parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina after the rapid thawing of recent snowfall triggered severe flooding and landslides across the country.
In Zenica and Kakanj, two towns located 50 kilometres northwest of the capital, Sarajevo, authorities announced a “state of natural disaster” after a nearby river broke its banks.
Motorists in Zenica were filmed being forced to abandon their vehicles after trying to navigate through floodwaters that proved too deep.
Authorities were scheduled to visit the most vulnerable areas hit by the flooding on Tuesday.
Large swathes of land submerged in muddy floodwaters in Busovači could be observed in aerial photos posted to the Facebook page of Bosnia’s Civil Protection Administration.
While in Ilidza, a municipality on the outskirts of Sarajevo, rising water levels in the Zeljeznica river caused a newly-built bridge to partially collapse.
According to local reports quoting officials, the bridge was expected to eventually collapse entirely.
