21 dead in central Bosnia flooding, landslides caused by torrential rain

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Torrential rains triggered flooding and landslides that claimed at least 21 lives in central Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.

Many residents are missing in Donja Jablanica and other villages in central Bosnia as rescuers sift through the rubble in search of dozens of missing people.

Heavy rains caused swollen rivers, flash flooding and landslides in the Jablanica area, which is about 44 miles southwest of Sarajevo.

The overnight storm washed out many roads, railways and bridges or blocked them with debris, which has made it impossible to reach some communities until cleared.

"There are some villages in the area that still cannot be reached," a Mountain Rescue Service official told media. "We don't know what we will find there."

Many homes in Donja Jablanica are buried under rubble that was made worse by a landslide that carried rubble from a quarry located above the village.

The rubble destroyed and buried many homes and vehicles.

Government officials declared a state of emergency in the affected area.

Deaths are reported in several villages, and local officials expect the death toll to rise.

The European Union Force in Bosnia is using helicopters and deployed an engineering unit and a special rescue team to help rescue victims.

A British special unit that was training in Bosnia also is helping with recovery efforts.