2023-08-06 22:04:19
“The damage caused by the floods is unimaginable, practically two thirds of the country are affected. It is the biggest natural disaster in Slovenia’s recent history,” said Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob at the weekend. After a meeting of the National Security Council, he estimated the damage to infrastructure and buildings at more than 500 million euros.
Dramatic highlight: On the night of Saturday, a dam on the Mur river near Dolnja Bistrica in the east of the country broke. As reported by the TV channel RTV Slovenija, 500 people were evacuated from Dolnja Bistrica. “We have taken this absolutely necessary step because it is the only measure to prevent possible casualties,” said civil protection commander Srecko Sestan. In order to temporarily seal the gap, which is several meters wide, helicopters dropped several blocks of concrete.
Rescue and clean-up work is also underway in other parts of the country. In the municipality of Ljubno ob Savinji near the Austrian border, landslides tore away four houses. In Dravograd, following the first landslide, there is now a risk of a second. The three rivers Drava, Meze and Mislinja flow together at the place. Mayor Anton Preksavec spoke of an “apocalypse of truly biblical proportions,” according to the STA.
Austrian campers rescued
A group of Austrian vacationers was brought to safety in time from the floods: “The red-white-red crisis team from the Austrian Embassy in Ljubljana was on duty in northern Slovenia on Saturday, where the floods in Ljubno ob Savinji triggered by record amounts of rain also killed 23 Austrian campers and campers, including 17 children,” said Gabriele Juen, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday. Many thanks also go to the Slovenian helpers – the Austrians “had to be partially rescued from the water by the local population”.
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