Macedonia declares emergency; floods kill 21

Associated Press

SKOPJE, MACEDONIA

Macedonia’s government declared a state of emergency Sunday in parts of the capital hit by torrential rain and floods that left at least 21 people dead, six missing and dozens injured, authorities said.

Police and army helicopters searched for the missing and evacuated hundreds from the flood zone.

Mayor Koce Trajanovski described the damage as “the worst Skopje has ever seen.” He said that the deadly deluge created hazardous rainfall accumulations within only 20 minutes.

“It was like a water bomb has fallen!” he said.

Many witnesses have described that victims drowned after being trapped in their houses when torrents suddenly swept through the area.

The heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms struck Skopje and its northern suburbs late Saturday. Special police, army units and firefighters were sent to the worst-hit areas as well as the nearby villages of Stajkovci, Cento, Aracinovo and Smiljkovci.

Government spokesman Aleksandar Gjorgiev told The Associated Press a state of emergency had been declared for two weeks in the most-affected areas.

Hundreds of homes and vehicles were destroyed by the floods, roads were impassable and several areas were without electricity. Authorities said more than 1,000 people had been evacuated so far.

Meteorologists said more torrential rain and strong winds were expected later Sunday.

Disruptions created by the bad weather have created traffic backups, with many tourists trying to reach Croatia’s coastal resorts along the Adriatic Sea.