No state of emergency after floods in south

The state water management company director says the recent floods in southern Serbia are no cause for alarm. Water levels in local rivers are usually high at this time of year, while flooding occurs only in those areas without proper protection, Nikola Marjanovic said. No state of emergency after floods in south "This is not an emergency situation, this is a regular occurrence," he said, and added that while he sympathized with all those hit by the floods, the human error was to blame for the outcome as well. The municipalities of Leskovac, Vlasotince and Babusnica have in the past several days experienced floods when local rivers spilled out, causing damage which the government now looks to counter with RSD 48mn in aid set aside from the budget. But Marjanovic says that one of the reasons for the floods lay in poor maintenance of river beds and canals designed to carry away extra water. "No one considered that they may be needed one day. What happened now is terrible, but we must learn to live with it," Marjanovic said. Some 1,000 houses in the region are today submerged in water, with MUP teams rescuing 10 people from their homes, and bringing passengers from four cars stranded in the rising water to safety. Firefighters yesterday successfully worked to evacuate residents, property and livestock from the hardest hit areas. Water levels in the rivers that caused the disaster have begun to subside. Nis-Thessaloniki international railway submerged in water in the south (FoNet)

No state of emergency after floods in south

"This is not an emergency situation, this is a regular occurrence," he said, and added that while he sympathized with all those hit by the floods, the human error was to blame for the outcome as well.

The municipalities of Leskovac, Vlasotince and Babušnica have in the past several days experienced floods when local rivers spilled out, causing damage which the government now looks to counter with RSD 48mn in aid set aside from the budget.

But Marjanović says that one of the reasons for the floods lay in poor maintenance of river beds and canals designed to carry away extra water.

"No one considered that they may be needed one day. What happened now is terrible, but we must learn to live with it," Marjanović said.

Some 1,000 houses in the region are today submerged in water, with MUP teams rescuing 10 people from their homes, and bringing passengers from four cars stranded in the rising water to safety.

Firefighters yesterday successfully worked to evacuate residents, property and livestock from the hardest hit areas.

Water levels in the rivers that caused the disaster have begun to subside.