Man dies in his home during flash floods

Man dies in his home during flash floods

BANJA KOVILJAČA -- A man drowned in the basement of his home in Banja Koviljača, western Serbia, when flash flooding hit the area late on Tuesday.

The daily Večernje Novosti writes on Wednesday that Mišo Đurić went into the basement to "close the window" and prevent the water getting in, but was overpowered by it.

Many areas, mostly in western and central parts of Serbia, experienced severe thunderstorms and heavy rain late on Tuesday. Local electric company teams were out in the field in Loznica, Krupanj, Ljubovija, Mali Zvornik, and parts of Mačva and Bajina Bašta regions repairing damaged transmission lines.

Member of the Loznica town council Dragoslav Dobrić told reporters that a special rehabilitation hospital in Banja Koviljača was flooded, and all bridges in several villages swept away, while the Zavlaka-Tekeriš road is closed due to the damage done by a local river.

In Kosjerić 20 households had to be evacuated last night, municipal president Milijan Stojanić told Tanjug, and added that the damage was "greater than during the May flooding."

Serbian Army soldiers were sent to this small town in western Serbia to help locals deal with the consequences of the storm that also caused landslides that cut off access to the village of Godečevo.

Flash flooding in Banja Koviljača: