SERBIA: Obrenovac residents survey damage as floodwaters recede

Record ID: 695086

  • Title: SERBIA: Obrenovac residents survey damage as floodwaters recede
  • Date: 22nd May 2014
  • Summary: OBRENOVAC, SERBIA (MAY 22, 2014) (REUTERS) FLOODED STREET CARS PARKED IN FLOODED STREET, TRUCKS DRIVING THROUGH WATER VARIOUS OF MACHINES PUMPING WATER OFF STREET VARIOUS OF WOMEN WEARING MASKS WATER COMING UP OUT OF DRAIN GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVING ALONG FLOODED STREET VARIOUS OF DAMAGED CARS PARKED ON FLOODED STREET INTERIOR OF DAMAGED PHARMACY, PHARMACIST, ZULFI BARKTJARI, STANDING NEAR COUNTER COMPUTER AND PRINTER COVERED IN MUD MAN PUSHING BICYCLE PAST BROKEN PHARMACY WINDOWS (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) PHARMACIST, ZULFI BARKTJARI, SAYING: "Everything is destroyed. The water level came up to three metres, it reached the ceiling. All my stuff inside, medication, computers, everything has been destroyed." HEALTH FOOD STORE OWNER, ZORAN BOJANIC, POINTING TO DAMAGED SHOP VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) HEALTH FOOD STORE OWNER, ZORAN BOJANIC (44), SAYING: "We didn't have time to save anything, you couldn't. It's unbelievable how the water rose so quickly. When it was over and I entered (the store) for the first time, it was unbelievable, like in the movies. It's so horrible, you can't describe this with words." INTERIOR OF TAILOR'S SHOP WATER MARKS ON WALLS, LAMP IN FOREGROUND VARIOUS OF WOMAN CLEANING ROLLS OF THREAD MAN WEARING MASK (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) TELEVISION SHOP OWNERS, DRAGAN KOTUROVIC, SAYING: "People lost it, mentally. Me too. I have nothing. I'm really ashamed, fuck it. I had everything and now I have nothing. I don't know what to say. Thank you for being with us." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WEARING MARKS AND RUBBER BOOTS CLEANING INTERIOR OF WEDDING DRESS SHOP VAN DRIVING ALONG FLOODED STREET
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Disasters
  • Reuters ID: LVA8D6DJQVV0KCE02T8Y009RKDOT
  • Story Text: Residents in the Serbian town of Obrenovac began the difficult clean-up operation on Thursday (May 22), a week after the town's worst ever flooding.
    Some roads remained submerged and workers used machines to try and pump the water away.
    Only shop owners were allowed to enter the town centre on Thursday.
    Most returned to discover they had lost everything.
    34-year-old Zulfi Barktjar runs a pharmacy, its windows smashed by the force of the water.
    "Everything is destroyed. The water level came up to three metres, it reached the ceiling. All my stuff inside, medication, computers, everything has been destroyed," he said.
    One week on from the flooding, there were fears of outbreaks of disease from the stagnant water.
    Residents were seen wearing masks as the warm temperatures caused the stale smell to become more pungent.
    Supplies of clean drinking water were scarce and there was still no electricity in the town.
    Health food store owner Zoran Bojanic said he was still struggling with the shock of the destruction in his shop.
    Shelves were overturned, supplies sodden and the stench of mould was so strong it could be smelt from outside the building.
    "We didn't have time to save anything, you couldn't. It's unbelievable how the water rose so quickly. When it was over and I entered (the store) for the first time, it was unbelievable, like in the movies. It's so horrible, you can't describe this with words," he said.
    There were at least 14 flood-related deaths in Obrenovac after days of the heaviest rainfall since records began 120 years ago caused rivers to burst their banks and triggered torrents of water to gush through the streets.
    More than 40 people have been killed across the Balkan region.
    Many people in Obrenovac were struggling to cope psychologically with what happened.
    Dragan Koturovic sobbed as he explained that he was still unable to get to his television shop and said he had lost some 30,000 euros worth of goods.
    "People lost it, mentally. Me too. I have nothing. I'm really ashamed, fuck it. I had everything and now I have nothing. I don't know what to say. Thank you for being with us," he said.
    Thursday was the second day of national mourning in Serbia.
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