At least five people lost their lives in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia, and dozens were injured after a powerful storm with strong winds and heavy rain hit the Balkans on Wednesday.
Local police and media reported on the victims and significant damages caused by this storm in the affected regions.
After several very hot and dry days, the Balkans experienced the second storm within two days, while other parts of Europe are battling wildfires and high temperatures.
In the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, two victims were reported as a result of the storm. According to Croatian police, two men lost their lives after being struck by falling trees. The incident involved a 50-year-old man who was outside on the road and a 48-year-old man who was inside his car during the tragedy.
Emergency physician Ljupka Hitrova informed the official news agency Hina that both victims suffered severe head injuries.
In Cernik, Croatia, another person lost their life while they were in their car, also due to a falling tree.
Elsewhere in Zagreb, a 36-year-old was seriously injured when a crane near a construction site collapsed, according to a police statement.
The storm suddenly darkened the sky and brought heavy rain, causing rapid flooding and strong winds throughout Zagreb, starting around 4:00 p.m.
City transportation came to a halt, there were power outages, and roads were blocked due to fallen trees.
Emergency services in Zagreb urged citizens to have patience as hundreds of calls for help came in immediately.
“We urge citizens to call only if they are in a life-threatening situation until the situation stabilizes,” said the Mayor of Zagreb Tomislav Tomašević on Twitter.
Ovo je nezapamćeno olujno nevrijeme i po silini vjetra i po šteti koja je u Zagrebu nastala.
Prema prvim informacijama, dvije osobe su poginule te ovim putem želim izraziti sućut njihovim obiteljima, kao i brz i potpun oporavak svim ozlijeđenima. 1/3
— Tomislav Tomašević (@ttomasevichr) July 19, 2023
A similar situation was reported in neighboring Slovenia, where strong winds knocked down trees and damaged roofs.
Public broadcaster RTV Slovenia reported that one person lost their life and another was injured when a tree fell on them in the Bled Lake area.
One person lost their life in Bosnia, and at least 20 were injured, authorities said.
In Serbia, authorities issued warnings to citizens as the storm moved eastward.
Strong winds spread across the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Wednesday evening.
Several parts of the city were left without electricity, and Belgrade Airport was temporarily closed. A video posted on social media showed a large crane collapsing.
After hitting Zagreb, cyclone has arrived to Belgrade, and 2 construction cranes have fallen, with no injuries so far. Disaster location is New Belgrade Airport city. pic.twitter.com/lPTY50N3tb
— SilverPhytoPatho (@PathoPhyto) July 19, 2023
Elsewhere in Serbia, residents reported torn trees, falling tiles, and damaged roofs.
A 12-year-old girl was hospitalized after a tree fell on her in the northern city of Novi Sad, according to doctors.
Emergency services in all three countries reported hundreds of interventions as the storm affected the region.
Authorities warned climbers to stay away from areas with trees.
