Hungary has sent military helicopters to Slovenia to aid the neighboring country with its relief efforts after the country’s worst-ever flooding killed several people and forced the evacuation of many hundred, Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Sunday.
“Our neighbors can always count on our help,” the defense minister wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday afternoon. Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky expressed great sorrow for the storms of the past few days, which have caused huge destruction in the neighboring country.
“Following our discussions with Slovenian Defense Minister Marjan Šarec, helicopters of the Hungarian Defense Forces will be deployed to Slovenia to support the rescue efforts. Military planning of the details is already underway,” the minister said in his post.
In Dojna Bistrica, Slovenia, the flooded Mura River breached an embankment, forcing authorities to evacuate 500 people. The Mura currently has the second-highest water flow in history, which is 1,350 cubic meters per second. The flooding is forecast to continue for at least another 24 hours, as the river level is still rising near Graz, Austria.
Rescue teams are trying to reach the affected villages, which remains problematic. According to Slovenian public media, power is still out in parts of the country due to the damaged infrastructure, so one of the main priorities of the authorities will be to deliver generators, of which there are reportedly enough, but it is difficult to transport them to where they are most needed.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said on Saturday that this is the worst flood in the country since it gained independence in 1990 and estimated that damages could be as high as €500 million.
