Bosnia floods raise danger of wartime explosives

Aerial shot shows a flooded area near the Northern-Bosnian town of Brcko on May 18, 2014 (AFP Photo/Elvis Barukcic)

Sarajevo (AFP) - In a potentially deadly side-effect to the record-breaking floods that have engulfed Bosnia, officials warned on Monday that unexploded mines left over the 1990s conflict could be dislodged and moved.

"Water and landslides have possibly moved some mines and taken away mine warning signs," said Sasa Obradovic, an official of Bosnia's Mine Action Centre.

The teams have been in the field to assess the threat and warn residents, Obradovic told AFP.

"They must be extremely cautious when they start cleaning their houses, land or gardens as the remaining mud could hide mines and other explosive devices brought by rivers."

Bosnia is still infested with more than 120,000 mines planted during the 1992-1995 war. They were often buried on the banks of rivers as demarcation lines between warring factions.
Since Wednesday, record rainfall has caused historic floods in Bosnia, Serbia and parts of Croatia, killing at least 47 people and forcing some 65,000 to abandon their homes. The most critical areas are northern parts of Bosnia around the Sava river.

Around 2.4 percent of the former Yugoslav republic's territory is still believed to be covered with unexploded mines and similar explosive devices.

Since the end of the war, landmine blasts have killed some 600 people and wounded 1,110.

In neighbouring Croatia, itself ridden with some 70,000 mines from its own 1990s conflict, the national demining centre said more than 162,000 square meters (1.7 million square feet) are considered at risk from mines in flood-affected areas.

Bosnia's mine centre said it was planning to create a regional crisis team with counterparts in Croatia and Serbia, Obradovic said.

In Serbia, most of the areas still infected with unexploded mines and bombs from 1999 NATO bombing campaign have not been affected with current floods.
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