Landslide destroys 7 homes in Hrvatska Kostajnica, Croatia
Featured image: Landslide in Hrvatska Kostajnica on March 13, 2018. Credit: Igor Ahmetovic
Heavy floods and landslides are affecting parts of central Croatia two weeks after record-breaking snow paralyzed the region. At this time, the worst affected is the city of Hrvatska Kostajnica (population 2 700) where heavy floods and landslides resulted in the destruction of several homes and at least 3 people injured.
The landslide that hit the city on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, completely destroyed 7 homes and several vehicles. 6 homes and other buildings were damaged. Experts said they expect additional activity in this area, adding that more structures could be damaged or destroyed. Locals say this mountain is known for landslides and that government should never have allowed homes to be built there.
Several people were injured in today's landslide, but there were no casualties, the police said.
Luckily, the slide took place during daylight and was accompanied by loud rumbling noise, giving residents audible alert and several precious moments to escape. Some of them escaped just before their home collapsed.
Snimke urusavanja. Evakuirano 10ak kuca. #n1info pic.twitter.com/KAYzZbAu1q
— Ana Mlinarić (@Ana_Mlinaric) March 13, 2018
Authorities declared a state of emergency for the city earlier in the day after Una River broke its banks, flooding homes and streets.
The situation is also critical around Hrvatska Kostajnica, in the city of Karlovac, the city on four rivers and home to more than 55 000 people, as well as in Letovanic, south of capital Zagreb. While rivers running through Hrvatska Kostajnica and Karlovac are peaking today, some regions such as Jasenovac and Frkasic are still preparing for the worst.
It is important to note that many residents of the city of Karlovac claim they are victims of irresponsible urban planning and that government should never have allowed homes to be built in flood-prone areas. Many homes, for example, were allowed to be built in dry riverbeds.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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