Tuzla declares a state of natural disaster

Centralna.ba

The Mayor of Central-Bosnian City of Tuzla and the Protection and Rescue Services of the City of Tuzla declared a state of natural disaster due to heavy rains that struck the city and its wider area.

After reviewing the information from the field, the Civil Protection Agency of the Tuzla Canton concluded that the deposits from water streams were enormous, with deficient water flow.

There were several floods in the area, and enormous material damage was also recorded, with a part of the water supply network being torn off, they said.

Several bridges, parts of the riverbeds and roads in the city of Tuzla were damaged and according to the field report, adding that some 50 buildings were threatened.

Over a dozen landslides were also activated in the city area, and new rains will activate other landslides in the coming days, the Civil Protection Agency concluded.

During the meeting, the Mayor and the Protection and Rescue Service of the City of Tuzla concluded that water-streams must be cleared immediately, and all the damaged bridges bust be repaired, along with roads and other forms of infrastructure.

Landslides mist be remedied, and preventive measures taken so that the rain would not cause any further damage.

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity's Civil Protection Agency said that water levels at the Modrac hydro accumulation near Tuzla, are edging the overflow point.

Some 40 residential and 100 auxiliary facilities were flooded in the Northern-Bosnian Celic Municipality where vast areas of arable land were also under water.

Central Bosnian river Spreca also flooded some 150 hectares of land, but no residential buildings were flooded.

A bridge near Busovaca Municipality, next to the Central-Bosnian city of Zenica, collapsed when river Lasva surged underneath it.

Residents of Kaonik village, where the bridge is located, called on the local authorities to repair it before the rains, stating its age and instability as primary reasons.