The devastation has prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency, as search and rescue operations are intensified to locate those trapped or missing amid the floods and landslides that have engulfed large portions of the country.
The severe rainstorm, which hit Bosnia overnight on Friday, has caused catastrophic flooding in towns and villages in central and southern regions.
Surging waters overwhelmed homes while residents were asleep, leaving many areas isolated. Roads, bridges, and railways have been destroyed, and the power outages have left entire towns like Jablanica and Kiseljak cut off from communication.
Rescue teams are working around the clock, with support from the military and volunteers. In the southern town of Jablanica, where many of the fatalities occurred, authorities continue their search for the missing.
Roads leading to the town are blocked, and the train lines have been swept away by the floods. Emergency services are also focused on rescuing those trapped in remote areas, including a successful operation to evacuate a child.
However, a pregnant woman tragically lost her baby despite being rescued and rushed to a hospital in Mostar.
“The situation is dire,” said Ljudevit Maric, a spokesperson for the interior ministry, who confirmed that at least 16 people had died in the Jablanica region alone.
Several others remain unaccounted for, and authorities fear the death toll could rise as search efforts continue. Between 20 and 40 people are believed to be missing, according to Bosnia’s Civil Defense, either trapped under rubble or swept away by the floodwaters.
The government has declared a state of emergency, deploying military units, engineers, and helicopters to assist in the relief efforts.
Bosnia’s inter-ethnic presidency called for calm, urging citizens to remain in the upper floors of their homes while rescuers work to reach them.
Drone footage broadcast on local media shows entire villages submerged, with muddy torrents destroying homes, roads, and infrastructure.
One of the busiest highways connecting Sarajevo to the Adriatic coast was washed into the river, along with a railway line, due to a massive landslide.
“This is the worst flooding we’ve seen since 2014,” said Edin Forto, the transport minister for the Bosniak-Croat Federation.
He described the destruction, stating, “Houses were ripped from their foundations and carried away.”
The heavy rains have also impacted neighboring countries, with Croatia experiencing flash floods and road closures in parts of the capital, Zagreb.
The Sava River is dangerously close to overflowing, and authorities have issued severe weather warnings for central Croatia and the Adriatic coast.
Montenegro and Serbia are also on high alert, as rising water levels threaten towns and villages in these regions.
The floods follow an unprecedented summer drought that dried up rivers and lakes across the Balkans. This extreme weather pattern is a stark reminder of the increasing frequency of climate-related disasters.
Meteorologists have linked the heavy rains and sudden flooding to the broader impacts of climate change, which has made the region more susceptible to such extreme events.