At least three dead in ‘worst natural disaster’ in country’s history

Rescue efforts are continuing after severe flooding in Slovenia killed three people and displaced thousands, in what Prime Minister Robert Golob has called “the worst natural disaster” in the country’s history.

Torrential rains began to pour down late on Thursday, causing the Alpine country’s rivers to burst.

Mr Golob said that the floods have caused almost €500m (£430m) worth of damage, with roads, houses, and bridges destroyed, and at least three confirmed deaths.

Two climbers from the Netherlands died in the mountains near Kranj on Friday. A Slovenian woman in the town of Kamnik, and a man near Ljubljana were also among the dead, Slovenia’s STA news agency reported.

“The death in Kamnik could have been caused by flooding, while the deaths in the mountains could have been caused by a lightning strike,” said a police official. “The circumstances of the deaths are still being established.”

Two-thirds of Slovenia, which has a population of two million, have been affected by the disaster. Flash flooding has been reported in neighbouring Austria.

On social media, residents and tourists in the central European country reported dramatic scenes of flooding and evacuations.

The British Embassy shared advice for foreign nationals from Slovenia’s ministry of foreign affairs, which urged those “who have been ordered to evacuate to a safe area to follow the instructions and directions of the members of the Civil Protection and, in case of need for consular protection, to contact their diplomatic and consular missions responsible for the Republic of Slovenia.”

The embassy set up a helpline for UK residents worried about a UK national in Slovenia, and urged those in the country: “Please consider helping others when safe. Reach out to vulnerable friends and neighbours.”

Jon Velkavrh, 18, who is a student in Žiri, a village in the North West, said that the floods started at midnight on Thursday.

He told i: “I first noticed that there was a floods when firefighters arrived at our neighbour’s house at 2am because their basement was flooded.

“I went and asked them if they need any help but they managed to stop the flooding themselves.

“Than when I woke up at 6.30am I saw that the water from the nearby river breached its [bank], which caused the whole city centre to be flooded. Consequently, the roads were closed. People were sending horrific photos on local Facebook pages.”

Velkavrh said he was left unable to make calls or access the internet for two days, but that he and his family were now safe.

He said: “We could only access news via the TV. Our house has remained dry but we’ve been unable to leave.”

Drone footage provided to The Guardian by Slovenia’s police showed that the currents were still ripping buildings from the ground on the third day of the floods on Sunday, with the north and the east affected.

The country said it has launched 3,700 rescue operations in the past 72 hours, in its worst natural disaster in three decades.

Video footage on social media showed people being airlifted from the scene, as thousands of people were evacuated by helicopter and boat.

On Twitter, EU president Ursula von der Leyen said that it is “heartbreaking to follow the devastation of colossal floods. The EU is by the side of the Slovenian people. Will mobilise if needed.”