Scale of disaster ten times greater than in region - PM

Scale of disaster ten times greater than in region - PM

During the open-door part of the government session, Vučić said that the bodies of 14 victims have been found so far in Obrenovac, a municipality completely submerged by torrential floods on May 15 at dawn.

They will be autopsied to determine whether they were among the casualties of the floods or died of natural causes, he said, adding that one person who had been reported missing in Varvarin has been found.

At one moment, the disaster seemed to be coming to an end as the weather conditions improved and the level of the River Sava dropped, Vučić said.

However, the Zabrežje village had to be evacuated completely as the water started coming in from behind the flood defense structures in Obrenovac (after breaching barriers in Croatia), leaving the sandbag barriers soaked, he said.

Additional measures have been taken to protect units A and B of the Nikola Tesla coal-fired power plant, which is now practically protected by flood barriers, Vučić said.

Addressing a press conference after the session, Vučić said that the damage caused by the floods will exceed 0.64 percent of the national GDP.

The percentage is higher than that - not including damage to agriculture, infrastructure and housing, Vučić said, stressing that there is no need for the country to jointly apply for EU funds with other countries.

Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić announced on Monday that Croatia could submit joint applications for money from the European Union Solidarity Fund with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, respectively.

Set up in the wake of the floods that hit central Europe in 2002, the fund provides aid in case flood damage exceeds 0.64 percent of the afflicted country's GDP.

Vučić said that he has ordered the ministers of European integrations, finance and economy to prepare additional documentation for Serbia's application for EU funds.

We need to see if we can draw the previously approved EUR 30 million, for which we lacked the projects, he said.

Local communities must submit accurate and truthful damage assessment reports, the prime minister said, warning that every item in the reports will be checked multiple times.

Full compensation will be given for property damaged by the floods, Vučić said.