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Balkan floods: Fears of new surge on Serbia's River Sava | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Emergency workers in Serbia are preparing for a "flood wave" on one of the country's main rivers. | |
Water levels on the River Sava are expected to peak later, threatening the country's biggest power plant. | |
It comes after the worst floods in the Balkans for decades left at least 20 dead and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. | |
In Bosnia-Hercegovina, landslides have buried houses and disturbed landmines laid during the war in the 1990s. | |
The floods are also affecting Croatia. | The floods are also affecting Croatia. |
Three months' worth of rain fell on the region in just a few days, causing rivers to burst their banks and sweep into people's homes. The death toll is expected to rise. | |
The rain has finally stopped in Belgrade, reports the BBC's Guy De Launey in the Serbian capital. | |
But officials fear water flowing from neighbouring Croatia and Bosnia could cause a "flood wave" on the River Sava on Sunday evening. | |
Emergency workers and volunteers have stacked sandbags along the river in Belgrade and other towns such as Sabac and Sremska Mitrovica. | |
"We are doing all we can," said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. | |
The main concern is whether flood waters could knock out the Nikola Tesla power plant, which supplies much of the country, our correspondent says. | |
It is in Obrenovac, south-west of Belgrade, where most of the population have already been moved to safety. | |
'Three metres high' | |
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has joined calls for help. | |
"Support and solidarity for my people in Serbia!'' he wrote on his Twitter account. | |
Officials have refused to give a death toll for Obrenovac until the floodwaters recede. | Officials have refused to give a death toll for Obrenovac until the floodwaters recede. |
Almost one-third of Bosnia is under water. The north-east is worst affected, with houses, roads and railway lines submerged. | Almost one-third of Bosnia is under water. The north-east is worst affected, with houses, roads and railway lines submerged. |
Bosnian Serb police chief Gojko Vasic said the situation had been particularly difficult in Doboj "because the flood waters acted as a tsunami, three to four metres high", the Reuters news agency reported. | |
"No-one could have resisted," he said. | "No-one could have resisted," he said. |
'Horrible catastrophe' | 'Horrible catastrophe' |
Bosnian Security Ministry spokesman Admir Malagic said that about one million people - more than a quarter of the country's population - live in the affected area. | Bosnian Security Ministry spokesman Admir Malagic said that about one million people - more than a quarter of the country's population - live in the affected area. |
Chairman of the Bosnian three-man presidency Bakir Izetbegovic said that his country is facing a "horrible catastrophe", the Associated Press reported. | Chairman of the Bosnian three-man presidency Bakir Izetbegovic said that his country is facing a "horrible catastrophe", the Associated Press reported. |
"We are still not fully aware of actual dimensions of the catastrophe," he said. | "We are still not fully aware of actual dimensions of the catastrophe," he said. |