Bosnian Village Buries 19 People Killed In Floods, Landslides
The burial of flood victims in Jablanica, Bosnia-Herzegovina
About 2,000 people turned out on October 15 for the burial of 19 villagers who died when flash floods and landslides swept through Bosnia-Herzegovina earlier this month.
The burials took place at a cemetery in the town of Jablanica in southern Bosnia. Mourners stood behind a row of imams and other religious leaders who faced 19 coffins draped in green cloth, in keeping with Islamic tradition.
The coffins were then lowered into the ground and dirt was shoveled on top of them.
Funeral Service For Flood Victims in Southern Bosnia
The 19 victims were from Donja Jablanica, a village outside Jablanica where the Bosnian Islamic Community's grand mufti, Husein Kavazovic, led a prayer service before the burial.
“No words are necessary,” said Kavazovic, addressing the mourners outside Jablanica Mosque. “Although the grief is deep and unbearable, we are aware that God decides about our lives. We are mortals.”
All the victims died on the night of October 4 when heavy rains caused torrential flooding and landslides. The storm sent piles of rocks, mud, and water into the village, demolishing many houses.
In the wider area of northern Herzegovina and central Bosnia, the amount of rain caught people by surprise, and entire areas were cut off as flash floods swept away roads and bridges.
In addition to the 19 people killed in Donja Jablanica, four people died in Konjice and three died in the area of Fojnica. One person is still missing.
Bosnia Attempts Recovery After Record Floods, Landslides
1/14A drone shot shows the village of Donja Jablanica devastated by flash flooding and landslides in Jablanica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on October 7.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
2/14The search for five missing people continues in Jablanica, southwest of the capital, Sarajevo, as workers struggle to clean inundated fields.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
3/14Part of the railway that passes through Donja Jablanica was destroyed by a landslide that tore through the village, leaving crushed houses and felled trees in its wake.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
4/14Floodwaters have now receded, but at the peak of the flooding last week the mosque in Donja Jablanica was almost completely submerged, with only the dome of the roof and the minaret visible.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
5/14Authorities declared a state of emergency following the October 4 floods, which left some villages completely cut off and forced many residents to dig out of the ruins caused by the disaster in the Balkan nation of some 3.2 million people.
Anel Steta, a volunteer worker from Mostar, said the situation in the Jablanica region was "catastrophic."
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
6/14Roads to and from the Jablanica region were destroyed in the floods, with communications between Jablanica city and Mostar being established for emergency vehicles.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
7/14Rescue teams from European Union countries were joining aid efforts and attempting to help locate those who were missing following the flash floods and landslides.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
8/14Aid collected for communities devastated by the flooding in Jablanica.
Luigi Soreca, who heads the EU mission in Bosnia, said that the bloc had activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) to help aid the country, which is not yet an EU member but aspires to become one.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
9/14A worker ropes off the railway tracks next to the destroyed station in Jablanica.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
12/14A view from the railway line of the mosque and houses destroyed by the flood and landslide.
Emir Begovic, a resident of Donja Jablanica, told RFE/RL that "when we saw the storm coming we expected this…Water came through the front door, the door immediately broke and [water] pushed us into one of the bedrooms."
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
13/14The sudden rains hit as many residents were sleeping, and water rose over the roofs of houses and left entire villages buried in mud.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
14/14According to Bosnian Prime Minister Nermin Niksic, a large number of victims were recorded in the village of Donja Jablanica due to the flooded quarry, which collapsed and send a landslide down the mountain.
At least 22 people have been reported dead so far, and more than six remain missing.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is attempting to recover from deadly flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 22 people and left several missing in the biggest floods the Western Balkan country has seen in decades. Road and rail traffic continues to be disrupted in parts of central Bosnia.
Jablanica in the south of Bosnia suffered the most damage in the floods and landslides that hit the country. RFE/RL documented the extent of the devastation and ongoing rescue works.
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Semir Jahic, a Muslim cleric from Jablanica, said 18 members of his congregation had died in the floods.
"This is a difficult and moving situation," he was quoted by the AP as saying. "We are too small a community to lose so many people in one day."
Bosnian government officials said the collapse of a quarry was the cause of the large number of victims in Donja Jablanica.
Rescue teams from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro assisted in the search for missing persons in the flooded areas during the past week, while engineering units helped in other recovery efforts.
Aid was also delivered through the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union for housing, electricity generators, water pumps, and other equipment needed by displaced persons, the Bosnian Security Ministry said on October 14.
Floods and landslides destroyed at least 230 buildings in Jablanica, and the estimated damage is around 25.6 million euros ($28 million).
In 2019, RFE/RL's Balkan Service marked 25 years of reporting in one of the world’s most contested regions, championing professionalism and moderation in a media landscape that is sharply divided along ethnic and partisan lines.
![A view from the railway line of the mosque and houses destroyed by the flood and landslide.<br />
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Emir Begovic, a resident of Donja Jablanica, <strong><a href="https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/jablanica-donja-jablanica-poplave-odron-kamenolom-zrtve/33147457.html" target="_blank">told RFE/RL</a></strong> that "when we saw the storm coming we expected this…Water came through the front door, the door immediately broke and [water] pushed us into one of the bedrooms."](https://gdb.rferl.org/261c5c6e-a062-495d-8a03-8bef147ec857_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
