Zagreb grapples with severe flooding after torrential rains, Croatia

Croatian capital Zagreb battled widespread flooding on Friday night, July 24, 2020, following torrential rains and strong winds that left the city in chaos. The emergency department received more than 1 000 calls from the public as the city was submerged underwater, stranding many motorists on the road and residents in their homes.

Torrential rains struck the city around 19:00 UTC (21:00 LT), triggering extensive floods. According to the Zagreb Emergency Management Office, the Fire Brigade conducted more than 80 interventions by midnight and accommodated more than 1 000 emergency calls.

One firefighter died during an intervention.

Among the worst-hit areas was the underpass on Miramarska street, where three vehicles were trapped underwater. A number of voluntary fire brigades and officials attended to call-outs.

Much of the interventions were technical and required a machine to pump water out of roads and from basements.

Traffic came to a standstill on the main Ilica street, while British Square was entirely inundated. Trams also stopped running around parts of the capital.

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