The police are closely following the heavy rains causing severe damage in most of the country that reached Slovenia last night and are set to continue today. Currently, our activities are primarily focused on saving lives.

Police officers have been saving lives in the area of Kamnik, Medvode, Komenda and the wider Celje region. They saved two children from a building in the town of Most in the Žirovnica municipality and assisted in evacuation of 18 persons. Three police helicopters have been assisting in rescue operations in the worst hit areas. They are currently rescuing pregnant women and mothers with small babies from Mengeš, Celje, Nazarje and Raduha and transporting them to emergency health services.

Photo: Tina Jereb (Dnevnik)

Officers are also monitoring the situation in the north Primorska region (especially the areas of Idrija, Cerklje and Tolmin) and the wider Celje region. Officers are present on the worst hit locations, overseeing the road closures and the order. They assist on bypass routes and help in rescuing livestock. Police are also closely following the situation on the ground, including from the air, and collaborate with other rescue services.

According to the information gathered so far, police have dealt with two fatal cases in which three persons lost their lives. One event, in which one person died, took place in the area of Kamnik. The second event involving two casualties took place in the area of Bled.

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The police were informed about a found dead person this morning. It is so far known that the elderly person was found in front of her house. So far, the cause of death remains unknown and it has not been confirmed weather she died because of flooding. The area, where the woman was found remains submerged, preventing the police and rescue services from reaching the location in order to verify the circumstances.

Yesterday evening, the police were informed that two persons had gone missing in the area of Bled. According to the currently available information, they left Rudno polje yesterday morning and hiked in the area of Viševnik towards Draški vrh. They were found this morning below the trail between Mali and Veliki Draški vrh. Both casualties – men aged 52 and 19, were Dutch nationals – died instantly on the spot due to severe bodily injuries. The search operation took place in extreme weather conditions (heavy rain, thunderstorm, continuous lightning) and was carried out by the police and mountain rescuers from the Mountain rescue services Bohinj and Radovljica. The police inspected the location and continue to gather information on the cause and the circumstances of their death.
Large part of Slovenia is flooded, many roads are closed, and many routes non-transportable, with traffic re-routed on bypasses.

We urge everybody to be cautious due to the current weather conditions and their consequences. Please stay away from bridges and flooded areas. Only travel if strictly necessary. Please follow the latest information on traffic and road closures. Observe the traffic signs, warnings, and instructions issued by the police and other rescue services. Stay away from the locations, where rescue operations are taking place not to obstruct the interventions.

We urge all citizens to exercise maximum caution and act responsibly.

Police officers across the country are currently on high alert. We will continue to follow the situation overnight and in other (so far unaffected) areas. All available patrols are and will continue to be deployed.