Slovenia at war with worst natural disaster

After major floods in Slovenia, this country has sought NATO and EU assistance. Slovenia needs heavy military helicopters with a 5-ton transport bearing capability and 200 soldiers for disaster and rescue duties. From the EU, Slovenia requires 30 rescue evaders and 30 special machinery for water control and engineers.

Meanwhile, evacuations have begun after the destruction of a dam on the Wall River. 500 people were to leave the village of Bistrica quickly, local media reported. But other areas are also endangered by the authority to protect natural disasters.

This is the biggest natural disaster in the history of the new Balkan state, independent of 1991 from the former Yugoslavia. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob estimated the damage to more than 500m euros. Mostly, road infrastructure, energy infrastructure, as well as several hundred buildings has been damaged. Many Slovenian villages are isolated after the disaster. Rescue forces send out helicopter food. High soil pollution increases the probability of landslides, according to Slovenia's Geological Service. In Austria too, massive landslides on mountain slopes threaten massive rains. The worst affected by bad weather are Kärne and Steiermark.