The situation in the municipality of Gracac in southern Lika region, flooded by the swollen River Otuca and rising groundwater after heavy rains, is serious, said Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic after he visited that town in the hinterland of the Adriatic town of Zadar.

This is the first time in history that the Otuca river spilled from its banks, said the minister.

He explained that huge amounts of water from the river, heavy precipitation and groundwater made the soil saturated.

The minister said that the developments in Gracac made an impact on Obrovac in northern Dalmatia, which was also flooded over the weekend.

He pointed out that there were no human casualties in this disaster and praised emergency services and Civil Protection authorities for their huge efforts. Earlier in the day, Bozinovic visited Obrovac.

Situation in Obrovac under control

The level of the River Zrmanja is falling in Obrovac after it had reached a historical high over the weekend and flooded this southern town, and the situation was under control on Tuesday morning.

The situation will be monitored, and all the emergency services brace for possible new flooding, while it is still raining, the minister said during his visit.

The River Zrmanja reached a record high of 302 centimetres in that town in the Dalmatian hinterland on Sunday.

According to the information from the ground, apart from the swollen Zrmanja, also groundwater had risen, which was why the town was flooded.

The minister said today that after the latest developments, it would be necessary to clean up the river bottom to remove the sediment pollution as well as to raise the embankment.