OBRENOVAC, Serbia (Reuters) - Boats sailed through the streets of a Serbian town on Friday on a mission to rescue people trapped by rising waters as the worst floods ever recorded swept Serbia and Bosnia.
Some residents of Obrenovac, 30 km (20 miles) southwest of the capital Belgrade, were stranded on the roofs of their homes, calling for help.
At least four people have died in the disaster. Thousands have been evacuated from homes in central and western areas of Serbia. Around 135,000 households were without power across the country and the government approved emergency electricity imports. Another 65,000 were without electricity in neighbouring Bosnia.
"This is a catastrophe. Nature has never been so cruel to us," Serbian Energy Minister Aleksandar Antic said.
The heaviest rains since records began almost 120 years ago have hit Serbia and Bosnia this week. Three people, including a rescue worker, drowned in Serbia and a villager died in a landslide near the northern Bosnian town of Bjeljina.
The deluge has made many hillsides unstable in the mountainous region. Several people were injured when dozen of houses were destroyed by a landslide on the edge of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
