The government of Bosnia-Hercegovina has declared a day of mourning for all those who have died following the worst flooding for a century.<br /><br />Across Serbia and Bosnia at least 47 people have lost their lives – more victims are anticipated once the waters have receded. <br /><br />Around 500,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes while a quarter of Bosnia’s four million people are without clean water. <br /><br />Another consequence of the unprecedented torrential rain has been landslides.<br />Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija explained the impact:<br /><br />“The landslides are absolutely destroying the country. We have registered about more than two thousand landslides. If I also tell you we we have about 9,400 mine fields.”<br /><br />Those minefields are a left-over from the Balkans war in the 1990s.<br /><br />Both Bosnia and Serbia have requested international help – a Russian emergency team has flown into join rescue efforts.<br />The spread of disease is the latest concern of the authorities.<br /><br />Even though thousands have been forced from their homes and whole villages swept away, emergency workers are trying not to leave anyone behind – even a pet dog which was found swimming for its life.
