JABLANICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — A somber atmosphere enveloped southern Bosnia as hundreds gathered on Tuesday to pay their respects at the funeral of 19 individuals whose lives were tragically lost to severe floods and landslides that struck the region earlier this month. The caskets, draped in traditional green cloth symbolizing Islamic customs, served as a poignant reminder of the devastation wrought by the natural disasters.
On October 4, intense rainfall and powerful winds battered four municipalities across central and southern Bosnia, taking the local populace by surprise. As the torrential downpours unleashed flash floods, entire regions became isolated, with roads and bridges swept away, leading to a death toll that now stands at least 26, with efforts still underway to locate one person reported missing.
The victims were all residents of Donja Jablanica, a village near the town of Jablanica. The funeral service, held at the Jablanica Mosque, was led by Husein Kavazovic, the Grand Mufti of the Bosnian Islamic Community. Kavazovic addressed the mourning crowd with deep empathy, stating, “No words are necessary. Although the grief is deep and unbearable, we recognize that God decides about our lives. We are mortals.” Following the service, the burials were conducted individually.
Residents of Donja Jablanica recounted the chilling moments before the calamity, describing a thunderous roar just before an avalanche of rocks, mud, and water engulfed their village. Many homes were completely obliterated, and some families faced unspeakable losses, with multiple members killed.
In the aftermath, neighboring countries and various European Union nations have stepped in to offer assistance to the affected areas. Experts have pointed to human-induced climate change as a critical factor in the increasingly severe rainfall, attributing it to warmer air holding more moisture. This summer, the Balkans also experienced unprecedented heatwaves that led to drought conditions, which, according to scientists, have diminished the land’s ability to absorb the overwhelming floodwaters.