Bosnians bury 19 victims of devastating floods

By Reuters

October 16, 2024 at 12:00:02 PM

A collective funeral for 19 flood victims is held in the southern Jablanica area, after which they will be buried at local cemeteries, in Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 15, 2024.REUTERS/Amel Emric

A Bosnian man touches the coffin of his relative during a collective prayer for 19 victims of devastating floods in the southern Jablanica area, after which they will be buried at local cemeteries, in Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 15, 2024.REUTERS/Amel Emric

A Bosnian man is confronted by family members as he wants to touch the coffin of his relative during a collective funeral for 19 victims of devastating floods in the southern Jablanica area, after which they will be buried at local cemeteries, in Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 15, 2024.REUTERS/Amel Emric

A collective funeral for 19 flood victims is held in the southern Jablanica area, after which they will be buried at local cemeteries, in Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 15, 2024.REUTERS/Amel Emric

JABLANICA, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Reuters) - Hundreds of people attended prayers on Tuesday for 19 villagers who died when flash floods and landslides swept through swathes of central and southern Bosnia 10 days ago, killing at least 26 people and destroying whole villages and roads.

Coffins wrapped in green cloth were lined up at an Islamic cemetery in the southern town of Jablanica, where bereaved family members said their final goodbyes.

Enes Dzino sobbed as he sat next to the coffins of his daughter-in-law's parents, brother, uncles and their children. "We lost nine members of her family," he said.

After the prayers, the coffins were taken to local cemeteries across the area for burial.

Semir Jahic, a Muslim cleric from the worst affected village of Donja Jablanica, said 18 members of his congregation had perished in the floods.

"This is a difficult and moving situation," he said. "We are a too small community to lose so many people in one day."

(Reporting by Amel Emric, writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Gareth Jones)

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