20.09.2014.

Military helps citizens in Eastern Serbia

It has been the third day since more than 500 members of the Serbian Armed Forces have been continually helping the citizens of eastern Serbia whose households faced the onslaught of catastrophic flooding earlier this week. Tekija and Boljetin village, where flood waters devastated hundreds of homes, were visited today by Deputy Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Jovica Draganic and Commander of the Crisis Response Staff for the affected areas in Kladovo and Majdanpek municipalities, Major General Milosav Simovic. The Armed Forces is currently engaged in Tekija, Boljetin, Kazanski potok and Milutinovac where, probably on Monday, if conditions permit, a bridge "Bailey" will be set up.

Soldiers and officers of the several units of the Army and Training Command are using engineering machinery, trucks and tools, with the help of people to recover communications, pull out mud and drift from houses and cellars, and collect furniture, agricultural machinery and vehicles that the torrent washed away.

In the village of Boljetin and Tekija, the devastation results caused by swollen Boljetinska river on Monday morning in only a few minutes were scary. According to the locals, a blessing in disguise was that the disaster occurred during the daylight, when the inhabitants were awake.

- If this had happened during the night, who knows how many people would die. In ten minutes water covered the entire village. It carried cars, livestock, machinery ... It took several acres of my land and buildings that were there – Lazar Djordjevic, a shop owner in Boljetin centre says.

Locals of Boljetin did not hide any tears or joy, because many of them have lost almost everything they owned in a few minutes, but they are glad the military came here ready to help.

Ivan Nikolic, who is responsible for elimination of consequences of floods that hit Majdanpek at the end of August, said that the army helped them within half an hour.

- The Task Group of the Serbian Armed Forces, which has been working on flood relief in Kazanski potok, in the vicinity of Boljetin, since 1st September was the first to came to rescue when the water has risen. Captain Srecko Videnovic came to the scene through a by-pass way, because the roads were cut off, and managed to pull out from the flooded school a female teacher, a male teacher and four students. It is a heroic gesture. - Nikolic said.

Lieutenant Colonel Dragan Milenko, a member of the Crisis Response Staff, says that the employment of professional soldiers and officers is exemplary.

- It is enough to see how willing these boys and girls are to work, how much they engage personally to assist these people in need, to understand why the Serbian Armed Forces is as much appreciated among the citizens. Here in Boljetin we have been working intensively for three days and we estimate that in a few days we could finish our job here – Lieutenant Colonel Milenkov says.

Situation in Tekija is even more difficult. According to General Simovic, the Crisis Response Staff meets daily and, in addition to representatives of the Serbian Armed Forces, the authorities of municipalities Majdanpek and Kladovo, Ministry of the Interior, the Red Cross, public and private companies from the affected areas participate in its work. According to General Simovic, who commands the Crisis Response Staff, work on the flooded areas is well organized, while in the field, apart from the members of the Serbian Armed Forces, approximately 2,000 citizens and members of the police and on the ground are working on repairing the flood damage.