Five Dutch people missing after floods in Slovenia

Following the storms of the last few days, five Dutch nationals have been reported missing in Slovenia to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry does not provide further details on the reports.

Presumably, these are mainly reports from family members who were unable to contact the Dutch nationals living in Slovenia. On Friday, it was announced that two Dutch nationals from Gouda aged 52 and 20 died in the country. They went on a trip to Veliki Drask Mountain. In general, Slovenia is a popular vacation destination for Dutch tourists.

Consular assistance is provided to those who have filed missing persons reports. In this regard, the embassy in Slovenia mainly cooperates with local authorities.

It is still not known how many Dutch citizens are in Slovenia, says a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is because they are free to travel to the European Union country and are not required to report to the embassy.

According to the NOS, emergency services received nearly 4,000 calls from people in distress. Among them were vacationers struggling because of the floods. The flooding was so severe that there is not much left of most campsites that were located near rivers.

Slovenia has been hit by heavy rainfall since Thursday evening. In the north of the country, the amount of precipitation that normally falls in a whole month fell in 24 hours. An important highway, which connects the capital Ljubljana with the north of the country, has been closed in several places. According to the Austrian radio station ORF, this will probably remain the case until Sunday evening. Many border crossings between Austria and Slovenia are also closed due to the persistent storm. According to authorities, several villages in the affected area have been closed off from the outside world by the water.

The south of Austria is also experiencing flooding. The persistent rain makes it difficult for the Austrian rescue services to provide the necessary assistance. Several campsites in the southern provinces of Carinthia and Styria have been evacuated.

On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added a warning to the travel advice for Slovenia, which nevertheless remains green. There remains a high risk of further flooding and landslides, accord to the warning. Travelers are advised to follow directions from local authorities and monitor media reports.