State of natural disaster declared in part of Maglaj municipality, decision made for urgent evacuation of population

(Patria) - A huge landslide has been activated in the area of Novi Šeher, specifically Mladoševice, covering an area of about 50 hectares, threatening seven houses, two of which directly. A decision has been made to declare a state of natural disaster in this part of the Maglaj municipality and a decision on the urgent evacuation of the endangered population from this area.

The alarming situation on the ground, further steps to be taken, and what is expected from competent institutions at higher levels were discussed at an extraordinary session of the Municipal Headquarters.

"We have made the decision to evacuate the population because at this moment, the most important thing is to save the lives of our citizens. All damage that has occurred will be repaired in the following period when we will also know who is responsible and why the landslide was activated. All competent bodies and institutions of the Maglaj municipality have been on the ground since yesterday, we have also invited other competent institutions to help and which are responsible for this area. Already today, ministers from the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton, several deputies, and the director of the Cantonal Civil Protection Administration were on the ground, we have also invited experts from the Federal Administration for Geodesy, and we have requested an urgent site visit by experts who were supposed to define, in the first place, the necessary measures to reduce damage in this area.

Specific measures will be defined after detailed investigations," stated Maid Suljaković, Mayor of Maglaj Municipality and Commander of the Municipal Civil Protection Headquarters, after the meeting. Mechanization has already been engaged and is on the ground, working on regulating canals and improving water drainage to the Mladoševačka River in order to reduce pressure on the ground in this area. "We will evacuate the population from the endangered area, we will monitor that this process goes completely safely, and the machinery will work preventively on the ground throughout the night," added Mayor Suljaković.

Persons who are not authorized and have no direct connection to this area are advised not to move in this locality because it is not safe and the landslide is still active. A meeting is scheduled for today in Maglaj, to which representatives of the Federal and Cantonal Civil Protection Administrations and all other competent institutions have been invited.