Number of homes still not reached despite massive relief effort

Škofja Loka Mayor Tine Radinja said not all hamlets and homes are accessible in their municipality, north-west of Ljubljana, and some are still without power and water.

Both main roads, to the Poljanska Valley and the Selška Valley, are still not fully passable.

In the municipality of Žiri, at least 12 homes can be reached only by foot, said Janez Tratnik from Civil Protection. However, the people have got organised with the help of their relatives so that they have basic supplies.

In Kamnik, relief efforts are also focussed on accessing all homes, which could so far not be done even with all the construction machinery, said Mayor Matej Slapar.

Progress towards the homes in the totally flooded valleys of the Kamniška Bistrica, Črna and Bistričica is slow, while food, water and generators are being delivered by helicopter.

"Our first task is to secure access together with the state to reach these areas by car," including an alternative to the ruined bridge in Stranje, said Slapar.

Velika Planina, a popular tourist plateau in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, also remains cut off.

In Dobrova - Polhov Gradec, east of Ljubljana, there are still a few farms that have not yet been reached, while most of the municipal roads opened at the weekend, said Mayor Jure Dolinar.

Litija, east of Ljubljana, has remained without a road link to Ljubljana as some of the bridges remain closed for safety reasons, said Mayor Franci Rokavec.

In the north of the country, the river Dreta damaged all local bridges and flooded 100 homes in Gornji Grad, said Mayor Anton Špeh, adding that five farms remain fully cut off, while several others are hard to reach. Talks are under way to deliver them food and water by helicopter.

Also still beyond reach in this part of the country is the town of Luče, but Defence Minister Marjan Šarec, who visited nearby Solčava, expects it to be passable for the most urgent services as early as today.