By : Lloyd Mahachi

Flash floods and landslides have ravaged central Bosnia-Herzegovina, leaving at least 19 people dead and dozens missing. The disaster has cut off towns and villages, with homes submerged and infrastructure severely damaged.

The worst-hit area is around Jablanica, a town on the main route between Mostar and Sarajevo. Aerial footage shows widespread destruction, with roads, bridges, and railway tracks washed away or blocked by debris. Landslides have buried houses in rocks and earth, while rivers have burst their banks.

Development Minister Vojin Mijatovic described the disaster as “terrible” and appealed for calm. A state of emergency has been declared, with rescue efforts underway.

Residents have shared harrowing accounts of the flooding. One homeowner in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton reported that water flooded their house at 3:30 am, forcing them to escape to neighbors before their home collapsed.

The flooding has also affected neighboring countries, including Montenegro and Croatia. In Montenegro, roads were washed away, leaving the village of Komarnica cut off. Croatia’s government has warned of rising water levels in some rivers.

Climate experts attribute the severity of the floods to climate change. Europe is the fastest-warming continent, with the last five years averaging 2.3C warmer than the second half of the 19th Century.

The region is still reeling from last month’s floods, which devastated Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group say climate change worsened those floods.

As Bosnia-Herzegovina struggles to cope with the disaster, international attention is focused on the country’s response. The government faces a daunting task in providing aid and rebuilding infrastructure.

For now, residents are left to pick up the pieces and mourn the loss of loved ones.

Editor : Josephine Mahachi