Soldiers finally make their way to Črna na Koroškem
Črna na Koroškem, 5 August - Members of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) managed to get to Črna na Koroškem this morning after the town in a small valley in Koroška, north, had been cut off the rest of the country due to floods and landslides since yesterday morning, Defence Minister Marjan Šarec said at the government's emergency session on the devastating floods.
Ljubljana
Head of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Leon Behin speaking to the press after attending an emergency government session on the catastrophic flash floods.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
Mežica
Floods in the town of Mežica in the region of Koroška, one of the worst hit by flash floods.
Photo: STA
Mežica
The Meža flooding in the town of Mežica in the region of Koroška, one of the worst hit by flash floods.
Photo: STA
Mežica
The Meža flooding in the town of Mežica in the region of Koroška, one of the worst hit by flash floods.
Photo: STA
Mežica
The Meža flooding in the town of Mežica in the region of Koroška, one of the worst hit by flash floods.
Photo: STA
The newspaper Večer reported online that the army with two helicopters and a total of 30 soldiers arrived in Črna in the morning, where the water severely damaged the main road in the valley. Some of the soldiers came on foot.
Head of the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration Leon Behin later told the press that there have been no reports from Črna about any injured individuals.
A few people will be airlifted from the area, while the first food and water shipments have been delivered to Črna by military and police aircraft.
Also delivered will be the fuel needed for generators and repeater stations to maintain at least essential communication link, Behin said.
Another SAF unit was making its way on foot to Ljubno and Solčava in roughly the same area in the north-east. In the municipality of Ljubno, floods and landslides swept away four homes and 15 to 20 people are now homeless.
The exact extent of damage in Črna na Koroškem is not yet know as the municipality has been without telecommunications since Friday morning.
However, it is clear that the river Meža is flooding along its entire course, from Črna to Dravograd, damaging or destroying several bridges.
In the nearby town of Mežica, Austrian paramedics helped a mum with a 14-day-old baby, taking them to a hospital in Klagenfurt, reported the Austrian press agency APA.
The situation in other parts of Koroška remains rather difficult, including in Ravne na Koroškem, and in Slovenj Gradec, where the Mislinja also washed away part of the main road to Dravograd.
In several towns in the area tap water must be boiled, with the local water utility urging locals to use drinking water sparingly.
Another pregnant woman was meanhile helped to go to a maternity ward in another part of the country; a mountain rescue team and a firefighter made their way across impassable terrain in the municipality of Škofja Loka to then airlift her to the Ljubljana Maternity Hospital.