An illegal quarry and negligence worsen the tragic floods in Bosnia
12 October 2024
Between the nights of 3-4 October, heavy rains flooded several towns in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, causing landslides that resulted in deaths and widespread devastation. The amount of rainfall in Donja Jablanica, Fojnica, and smaller towns in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton was twice the average for October and came after months of severe drought.
While the climate issue is undoubtedly a factor, another alarming detail emerged in the following hours. In Donja Jablanica, a quarry situated just above the houses likely worsened the impact of the water, causing landslides. But there’s more: no one in the cantonal government knew the quarry was working. Marija Buhač, head of the cantonal government, stated "This government has not issued any concession for that quarry, nor do we have any record of concession fees for it." Currently, the cantonal prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation, and other details are emerging: the company behind the quarry, doo Jablanica, owned by Dženan Honđo, never obtained the license to operate. Media outlets are also linking Honđo to well-known criminals in Sarajevo.
 | Alessandro Cinciripini A local source, who chose to stay anonymous, said “it's absolutely impossible that no one knew about the cave”. Anger and disillusionment are prevailing among the population. So far, there are 21 victims, but rescue teams are still working to find many missing people. In 2014, Bosnia was already hit by flooding, but the scale of the damage from recent events is expected to be even higher. Once again, local authorities failed to strengthen the resilience of the region by implementing an emergency plan to prevent or at least contain the damage. |
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