site.btaBacka Palanka in Serbia Declares State of Emergency Over Landfill Fire

A state of emergency was declared on Thursday in the northern Serbian town of Backa Palanka due to a fire that broke out overnight on Wednesday at a landfill site, FoNet reported.

Thick smoke is still spreading throughout the town, making it difficult for residents to breathe. Visibility has also been reduced in some areas.

The head of the Emergency Management Sector at Serbia’s Ministry of the Interior, Luka Causic, said that a tragic incident occurred in the village of Lucica, near Pozarevac in eastern Serbia, where one person died in a fire that he had started himself.

“This is the most serious consequence of irresponsible behavior, and for that reason I once again urge all citizens to exercise the utmost caution,” Causic said.

Firefighting and rescue teams remain deployed at several locations across Serbia. The most difficult situation continues to be in the Ibar Gorge in central Serbia, where several active fire hotspots have been burning since yesterday.