Number of victims of Serbia floods and landslides tops 50

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Saturday at least 50 people have been killed or rendered missing as a result of the flash floods and landslides that hit Serbia and other parts of southeast and central Europe in mid-May.
The Serbian authorities made their utmost to alleviate the devastating effects of this disaster, otherwise the catastrophe could have had a far heavier toll, he said in statements to Serbia radio.
Vucic pledged that his government would spare no effort in accommodating and caring for the thousands of people who were rendered homeless as a result of the disaster.
The government has set aside a budget for rehabilitating the infrastructure and public utilities in the flood-hit area, he added.
In a related development, the Bosnian government said tonight it has reinstated the emergency law to ensure popular mobilization for the post-crisis rehabilitation effort.
The government seeks to motivate the public to take part in the removal of debris and reopening of roads that were blocked by landslides, according to a statement aired by Sarajevo TV.
It added that the flooding took its toll on the economy particularly the fauna and flora life, noting that dozens of thousands of cattle and sheep have been killed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Between May 14 and 17 Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered the greatest damage of the rain which was the heaviest in 120 years of recorded weather measurements. By May 20 at least 62 people had died as a result of the flooding, and hundreds of thousands had been displaced