A year later, small Bosnian village remembers 19 victims of floods and landslide

JABLANICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — A year after a flood and landslide swept through a tiny village in southern Bosnia, killing 19 people, residents of Jablanica say their lives will never be the same again.

“It’s all deserted, it’s not like it was before,” Adisa Maslo said as the village marked the anniversary of the tragedy on Saturday with prayers and remembrance ceremonies.

Jablanica was the worst hit of the four municipalities in central and southern Bosnia devastated by volleys of torrential rains and flash floods on Oct. 4, 2024, which swallowed roads and bridges. Altogether 26 people died.

In Jablanica, parts of the village were virtually buried under mud and rocks that descended from a nearby quarry on nearby hill. Residents recalled a thunderous roar before people, cars and entire houses were swept away within minutes.

Authorities have opened an investigation to determine who was responsible for the scope of the tragedy in Jablanica, but it has yielded no result. Many in Bosnia blame rampant exploitation of natural resources and deforestation.

Maslo and her husband Emir say their daughter-in-law lost her baby when she almost drowned in the surging mud. The family home was completely destroyed and the couple have been promised a new one at the edge of the village.

For Fata Jasarevic, who lost four family members, “there is nothing left but sadness and sorrow.” The 70-year-old woman was among dozens of people who attended a collective prayer for the victims at the Jablanica cemetery.

“No one came to ask how we are,” she said. “As if no one had died.”