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By Holly Yan and Kisa Mlela Santiago, CNN
May 19, 2014 -- Updated 1023 GMT (1823 HKT)
(CNN) -- As if the deadly flooding inundating much of the Balkans wasn't alarming enough, rescuers must now grapple with another concern: the risk of landmines from the Bosnian war resurfacing.
"A vast number of landslides have worsened the situation and relief efforts," the Red Cross said, describing the rains as the "worst floods in more than a century."
"There are reports that landmines buried during the conflict and not yet removed are in some instances being shifted with the landslides, adding (to) the dangers of people living in the areas as well as rescuers," the Red Cross said.
The mammoth flooding has already killed at least two dozen people in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Massive swaths of Croatia are also submerged.
Even though the intense rainfall is subsiding Monday, the disaster is far from over. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said flooding in the region will last at least another week -- and in some places, it could get worse.
The Serbian capital of Belgrade, for example, sits at the crux of the swollen Sava and Danube rivers. As water rushes downstream, the flood level in Belgrade is expected to rise through Thursday, Javaheri said.
'Happy that we didn't drown'
In Serbia alone, more than 24,000 people have evacuated to escape water that is chest-high in some areas.
"People were in a panic, running," an evacuee told CNN affiliate N1 in Belgrade, Serbia. "I left with a kid. I was really happy that we didn't drown."
The woman's house is now flooded, and she says she has no idea where she will live.
But many Serbians wouldn't budge.
"Some people simply do not want to leave their homes," said Novica Biorac, a volunteer from a rafting club in Raska. "We are trying to convince them to leave, but it's very difficult."
Deadly situation
The Serbian government said at least 12 bodies have been found in the town of Obrenovac, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the capital of Belgrade. But one of the 12 was someone who had already died "of natural causes," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said.
One of the deceased was a rescuer, said Dragan Radovanovic, president of the Serbian branch of the Red Cross.
Authorities estimate that 90% of Obrenovac has been flooded.
Serbia's not alone. In nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina, at least 13 people have died, Deputy Minister of Security Samir Agic said. The catastrophic weather has prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnian authorities say the flooded town of Maglaj received the average rainfall for two months in less than two days.
The epic flooding is the worst Serbia has seen since the country began keeping records 120 years ago, meteorologists said.
"Many cities and villages in western Serbia are completely under water," the Serbian Embassy in Washington said in a statement Sunday, describing the situation as an "unimaginable catastrophe."
Fighting the flood
Soldiers, rescue workers and volunteers rushed to stack sandbags in towns near rivers throughout Serbia.
The Sava River has already reached 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) -- a historic high, the Serbian government said. The Prime Minister said workers have erected a dam 7.3 meters (24 feet) tall in the area of Sabac.
In Kostolac, along the Danube River, workers built sandbag walls to protect a thermal power plant -- one that the energy minister called the most important power facility in Serbia. The plant produces 20% of the nation's power.
The Prime Minister thanked countries that have already come to Serbia's aid. He said he was especially grateful to members of the Russian special forces, including one member who swam 200 meters (656 feet) in cold water to save several people.
But rescuers fear what might be found after the floodwaters subside. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Balkans flooding: Concerns landmines could surface in landslides - CNN.com
RIP to the dead...Salute to those helping...
May 19, 2014 -- Updated 1023 GMT (1823 HKT)
(CNN) -- As if the deadly flooding inundating much of the Balkans wasn't alarming enough, rescuers must now grapple with another concern: the risk of landmines from the Bosnian war resurfacing.
"A vast number of landslides have worsened the situation and relief efforts," the Red Cross said, describing the rains as the "worst floods in more than a century."
"There are reports that landmines buried during the conflict and not yet removed are in some instances being shifted with the landslides, adding (to) the dangers of people living in the areas as well as rescuers," the Red Cross said.
The mammoth flooding has already killed at least two dozen people in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Massive swaths of Croatia are also submerged.
Even though the intense rainfall is subsiding Monday, the disaster is far from over. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said flooding in the region will last at least another week -- and in some places, it could get worse.
The Serbian capital of Belgrade, for example, sits at the crux of the swollen Sava and Danube rivers. As water rushes downstream, the flood level in Belgrade is expected to rise through Thursday, Javaheri said.
'Happy that we didn't drown'
In Serbia alone, more than 24,000 people have evacuated to escape water that is chest-high in some areas.
"People were in a panic, running," an evacuee told CNN affiliate N1 in Belgrade, Serbia. "I left with a kid. I was really happy that we didn't drown."
The woman's house is now flooded, and she says she has no idea where she will live.
But many Serbians wouldn't budge.
"Some people simply do not want to leave their homes," said Novica Biorac, a volunteer from a rafting club in Raska. "We are trying to convince them to leave, but it's very difficult."
Deadly situation
The Serbian government said at least 12 bodies have been found in the town of Obrenovac, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the capital of Belgrade. But one of the 12 was someone who had already died "of natural causes," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said.
One of the deceased was a rescuer, said Dragan Radovanovic, president of the Serbian branch of the Red Cross.
Authorities estimate that 90% of Obrenovac has been flooded.
Serbia's not alone. In nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina, at least 13 people have died, Deputy Minister of Security Samir Agic said. The catastrophic weather has prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnian authorities say the flooded town of Maglaj received the average rainfall for two months in less than two days.
The epic flooding is the worst Serbia has seen since the country began keeping records 120 years ago, meteorologists said.
"Many cities and villages in western Serbia are completely under water," the Serbian Embassy in Washington said in a statement Sunday, describing the situation as an "unimaginable catastrophe."
Fighting the flood
Soldiers, rescue workers and volunteers rushed to stack sandbags in towns near rivers throughout Serbia.
The Sava River has already reached 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) -- a historic high, the Serbian government said. The Prime Minister said workers have erected a dam 7.3 meters (24 feet) tall in the area of Sabac.
In Kostolac, along the Danube River, workers built sandbag walls to protect a thermal power plant -- one that the energy minister called the most important power facility in Serbia. The plant produces 20% of the nation's power.
The Prime Minister thanked countries that have already come to Serbia's aid. He said he was especially grateful to members of the Russian special forces, including one member who swam 200 meters (656 feet) in cold water to save several people.
But rescuers fear what might be found after the floodwaters subside. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Balkans flooding: Concerns landmines could surface in landslides - CNN.com
RIP to the dead...Salute to those helping...
