Health Officials Warn Of Possible Epidemic After Balkans Floods
Floodwaters in the village of Prud, Bosnia
Health Officials Warn Of Possible Epidemic After Balkans Floods
Local health officials are warning that tons of drowned farm animals are posing a major health hazard in the flood-hit Balkans.
More than 40 people have died in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia after last week's record rains triggered the worst floods to hit the region in over a century.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated.
Bosnia declared a day of mourning on May 20 while Serbia will hold three days of mourning starting May 21.
The floods are still threatening Serbia's biggest power plant in the town of Obrenovac, while officials in Bosnia said potentially shifting land mines left over from the country's 1992-1995 war were posing new threats.
Both Serbia and Bosnia have asked for international help, with damage from the floods estimated in the billions of dollars.
Photo Gallery:
Parts Of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina Under Water
Torrential rains in the Balkans have caused widespread floods in recent days. A state of emergency was declared on May 15 in central Serbia, where two deaths occurred. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, hundreds of people were forced to leave Sarajevo's western suburbs as well as towns and villages north of the capital. Meteorologists forecast several more days of rain in the region.
(IN PICTURES: Balkan Floods)
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
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