Evacuation measures began late on Tuesday evening in northern Herzegovina, where communities were severely affected by flooding and landslides last weekend. The evacuation is taking place because heavy rainfall is forecast for the region.

The crisis unit of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, based in Mostar, announced that evacuation measures are underway in the areas of Jablanica and Konjic. Civil defence teams and other emergency services are carrying out the evacuation with the support of local rescue units.

An urgent message from the Crisis Centre states that the residents of the affected areas must be evacuated by 2 am at the latest. They will be relocated to previously organised accommodation in schools and sports halls, where beds, food, water and basic hygiene items have been provided.

These precautionary measures follow a warning from the Federal Hydrometeorological Institute, which predicts heavy rainfall of up to 60 litres of rain per square metre during the night. Such rainfall could trigger new flash floods and landslides in the already endangered regions.

The recent floods and landslides in northern Herzegovina and central Bosnia have claimed 22 lives and the search continues for a further eight missing people.