20.05.2014.

Minister of Defence in Razanj

Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Velimir Ilic, Minister without Portfolio responsible for emergency situations, visited today the village of Novi Bracin in the municipality of Razanj where the flood damaged bridge and flooded wells, why more than 2,600 residents were left without water.

On Friday, the Jovanovac River damaged the main pillar of the bridge that connects the main road in the village of New Bracin and flooded wells, causing this village and the surrounding villages to be left without drinking water. This river also flooded about 50 homes.

While talking with Dobrica Stanojevic, President of Municipality of Razanj, and Minister Ilic, the Defence Minister promised the inhabitants of this place the assistance by the Serbian Armed Forces and delivery of a pontoon bridge as a temporary solution.

"Over the past five days in Serbia, more than 200 such bridges were destroyed. Where we can respond quickly, where the water returned to the water stream, we respond immediately", Gasic said.

He pointed out that the Serbian Armed Forces has a large number of pontoon bridges on trucks that are left for sale.

"Good people who wish to help bought three bridges and give us the right to send them where they are most needed. Problem is that these vehicles are not drivable, so we have to find the way to transport them here with the bridges", Gasic explained.

The Defence Minister added that 300 households depend on that bridge as they need it for supply, going to work and school, but also for safety.

"Serbia must not lose any more lives. We have disaster that has certainly not been remembered by our ancestors for more than 100 years", Gasic said and added that, fortunately, the municipality of Razanj did not suffer the fate of Obrenovac, Valjevo, Ub, Ljig ...

"We have to visit this area as well, to talk with the people here, because they also need help. You can see that the entire municipality has no water and therefore we must respond as soon as possible to return them to normal state so that they can also help those who are endangered, because Serbia is the fastest to unite whenever it is difficult", Gasic said.

Velimir Ilic, Minister for Emergency Situations said that the Serbian Armed Forces helped a lot in solving many problems in flood-affected areas and that Serbia without it would be totally blocked today.

"The bridge cannot be built in seven days, but people cannot communicate without a bridge. The Milanovac municipality has 27 destroyed bridges, and in other municipalities, we are turning to the army to help us to develop projects and to finish it all", Ilic said and thanked the Serbian Armed Forces for help.