Firefighters Respond to 41 Emergency Calls as Hail Storm Hits Zagreb
ZAGREB, July 27, 2020 - A hail storm hit Zagreb around 8 pm on Sunday, leaving many properties and streets flooded.
Firefighters responded to 41 emergency calls, mostly to pump out the water and remove fallen trees, the national fire service said on Monday.
This is the second time in two days that a torrential rain caused flooding in the capital after a heavy storm struck during the night between July 25 and 26.
The director of the children's hospital, Goran Roic, told Hina that the hospital's basement and canteen were flooded again. He said that hospital staff continued to provide health care without interruption.
Zagreb Mayor Pledges Aid to Residents in Repairing Storm Damage
ZAGREB, July 25, 2020 - Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic has pledged aid to residents in repairing the property damage caused by a severe storm that hit the capital on Friday evening, when nearly 100 litres of rain per square metre fell in 10 hours, leaving many properties flooded.
"The damage will be compensated for, but what cannot be compensated for is a human life. I regret to say that one young life was lost," Bandic told a press conference on Saturday. He announced that he would visit the family of a 53-year-old voluntary firefighter who died in the line of duty, on Sunday.
The mayor thanked the emergency services for a prompt response. He reassured the residents by saying that the damage would be assessed and that they would be assisted in repairing the damage.
Asked to comment on the fact that he has been the mayor for 20 years and that every time a heavy rain occurs residents see scenes like these, Bandic said that he and his team have done more about the municipal water supply and drainage infrastructure than all the mayors of Zagreb in the last 100 years combined.
Reporters also asked the head of the Department for Emergency Management, Pavle Kalinic, whether the water drainage system could have been damaged by the March 22 earthquake, to which he said that this was yet to be looked into and assessed.
Chief fire officer Javor Lozar said that the city's public fire brigade and about 50 voluntary firefighter associations had carried out over 250 response operations between 9.30 pm on Friday and 11 am on Saturday, involving 180 firefighters. They were engaged in pumping out the water from residential buildings and underground car parks and rescuing people from vehicles and basement flats. Lozar said that there had also been a fire in two flats that were promptly brought under control and no major damage was done.
Health Minister Visits Flooded Children's Hospital in Zagreb
ZAGREB, July 25 (Hina) - Health Minister Vili Beros on Saturday visited the children's hospital in downtown Zagreb which was flooded in last night's heavy rain, saying the costs of dealing with the damage would be covered by the hospital, the city, and his ministry.
Hospital director Goran Roic told Hina the biggest damage was done to the pharmacy in the basement, where the cafeteria, locker room and radiology ward were also flooded.
Other hospital services are working normally, he said.
Visiting the hospital, Minister Beros said the hospital pharmacy stored very expensive drugs so the damage was yet to be estimated.
"However, the provision of healthcare is not undermined at this moment. But the corona crisis, the earthquake, and now flooding have only highlighted the need to build a new national children's hospital. Many only talked about it, but this government has recognized this need and included this idea into its programme for the coming period, and I as minister will do my best so that it is realised."
A feasibility study is being done for the Blato location and when it is done, we will see whether it's the best location, Beros said.
As for the financing of the new hospital, he said everything would be done to find the fastest solution. "Whether it's EU funds is difficult to say because the procedure is long, and we can now see how long the feasibility study is taking," Beros said, adding that "we are also looking at other financing possibilities for the construction of these health facilities that we urgently need."
Beros said he had talked with the directors of most of Zagreb's hospitals and that none had reported any major damage after last night's storm.
Severe Storms Hit Croatia, Zagreb Firefighter Dies During Intervention
ZAGREB, July 25, 2020 - Severe storms that hit most of Croatia on Friday night made firefighters respond to numerous calls and one died in Zagreb after taking ill during an intervention, the Croatian Firefighting Association said on Saturday.
Heavy rains with strong winds struck the northern coastal area of Rijeka, Opatija and Crikvenica as well as the islands of Krk and Cres, with local firefighters responding to ten calls to remove fallen trees and branches, pump out water, repair roofs and clear roads.
In Zagreb County, firefighters responded to 15 calls, mostly to pump out water from buildings, but also to clean drains and remove fallen trees and branches.
In Varazdin County, firefighters responded to ten calls, also to pump out water and remove fallen trees and branches, including from power lines.
Situation worst in Zagreb
In the flooded capital, firefighters responded to over 100 calls to pump out water from numerous buildings and underpasses, clear drains and roads as well as remove fallen trees from them.
While pumping out water from one flat, firefighter Davor Kovacic (53) took ill and died despite a quick response from paramedics.
