DEATH TOLL FROM HEAVY FLOODING IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA RISES TO 18 - AUTHORITIES

BELGRADE, Oct 6 (Bernama-Sputnik) - The death toll from the devastating floods in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and the neighbouring Central Bosnia Canton in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has increased to 18, the local authorities said on Sunday, reported Sputnik.

Torrential rains and landslides over the past days have caused severe flooding in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, particularly in the municipality of Jablanica.

On Friday, the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,  one of the two entities of the country alongside Republika Srpska, declared a state of emergency due to the floods in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

"According to official data from the civil protection headquarters of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and the Interior Ministry, the death toll in the flood-affected areas has increased to 15, of which 13 were found in Jablanica, two in the municipality of Konjic. Rescuers found two more bodies on Saturday - one in the village of Buturovic Polje near the town of Konjic, the other in Donya-Yablanitsa," the authorities said in a statement.

The bodies of three people have been found in the municipality of Fojnica of the Central Bosnia Canton, the emergency services said.

The disaster struck a mountainous, relatively hard-to-reach area of the country near the Neretva River. On Friday, the state broadcasting company, BH Telecom, decided to allocate 1.5 million convertible marks (US$823,650) for the affected regions. Meanwhile, the BiH authorities have sent an army engineering unit to the flood-hit areas to assess the situation and a military helicopter to evacuate the victims.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed readiness to provide all possible assistance, while Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik announced a donation of 50,000 convertible marks (US$27,455) to each of the affected municipalities.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK