Slovenia

Another kick into Schengen: border control prolonged at this Hungarian border

Border control Slovenia Hungary Schengen

The Slovenian government decided on their Thursday session to prolong their strict border control on the Croatian and Hungarian border.

According to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI), the Slovenian government prolonged strict border control on the Hungarian-Slovenian border until 21 December. The reason is crime, terrorism and extremities sadly spanning through borders.

They added that the Slovenian police would do everything they could to protect the companies, citizens, locals, tourists and the environment from the negative effects of the inspection.

Slovenia re-established border control on 21 October temporarily and prolonged it multiple times.

Slovenia’s interior minister, Boštjan Poklukar, said the 21 December date is the latest the Schengen codex allows them to re-establish border control despite being a Schengen Zone member. Afterwards, they will continue to do so based on the 25th and 27th paragraphs of the codex. That can last for another six months.

Read also:

  • Neighbouring country hermetically closed the Schengen border! – Read more HERE
  • Romania Schengen accession priority for Hungary, foreign minister says

Featured image: illustration

Breaking: Slovenia prolongs border controls at Hungarian and Croatian border

slovenia border controls

The Slovenian government decided on Thursday to prolong border controls at the Croatian and Hungarian borders until 21 December, Slovenian Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar said after a cabinet meeting.

He said the government had also instructed the Foreign Ministry to notify EU member states and the European Commission of the planned temporary reintroduction of border controls for a period of six months. He said it was necessary because of the high level of terrorist threats in the EU, Portfolio reports.

Currently, the government extends border controls under Article 28 of the Schengen Borders Code for up to two months, until 21 December. After that, Slovenia will carry out border checks under Articles 25 and 27 of the Code, which allows internal border checks for up to six months, Poklukar explained.

“I hope that the terror threat level will decrease and we can lift the measures, but for the time being, we are doing everything we can to ensure the security of Slovenia,”

he said.

Portfolio wrote that the Minister also assured that people living along the border will not notice anything of the measure. “We do not want long queues and traffic stoppages at the former border crossing points,” he stressed.

Slovenia first reintroduced border controls on 21 October, setting up 14 checkpoints on its borders, 12 on the Croatian border and two on the Hungarian border. EU citizens can use all border crossing points, while citizens from other countries can only cross the border at these 14 points.

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Government-close foundation: Europeans don’t want leaders to finance war

Ukraine war

Europeans expect their leaders to end the war in Ukraine, not to finance it, according to an EU-wide survey conducted by the Századvég Foundation.

The pollsters interviewed 30,000 randomly selected adults between 26 April and 22 June, Századvég told MTI on Thursday.

According to a recent proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a new funding package of EUR 50 billion would be set up from member states’ contributions to support Ukraine in addition to the EUR 83 billion disbursed so far, which would cover Ukraine’s expenses until 2027.

“Under the strategy underlying the package, Ukraine must be supported until it defeats Russia. However, as is shown by the time horizon of the proposal, the idea would lead to a prolongation of the war and its reality is highly questionable,” Századvég said.

The results of the survey show that only one-fifth of European citizens agree with Brussels’s idea and 72% would choose the alternative of bringing the parties to the negotiating table and ending the war immediately.

The position calling for an immediate end to the war has an absolute majority in all member states except Estonia, and the ratio reaches two-thirds in 20 countries. The most pro-peace member states are Hungary with 89%, Greece with 87%, Malta with 86% and Cyprus and Slovenia, each with 85%.

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Collapsing Schengen: strict control at Hungarian Schengen border remains in effect longer

Schengen border control Slovenia

It has become official: Slovenia’s reestablished border control on the Hungarian-Slovenian border will remain in effect longer than thought before.

According to portfolio.hu, the Slovenian government decided on their Friday session to keep strict border control in effect on the Croatian and Hungarian border. Hungary’s Western neighbour reestablished control on 21 October for only ten days, which can be extended for a maximum of two months. The new deadline is 19 November. In practice, that means strict border control will be in effect on the Slovenian-Hungarian border for at least one month.

The Ljubljana government explained that the reason behind the drastic measure is the Middle Eastern and Ukrainian security situation. They believe the ongoing wars in the two regions can destabilise safety and public order in the European Union. Another pack of arguments include the terror attacks committed recently in some Western European countries.

Third-country citizens in trouble

On 2 November, the Croatian, Italian and Slovenian foreign affairs ministers will meet to discuss the topic of border control in Triest, Italy. Italy informed its neighbours before that they would keep strict border control on the Slovenian-Italian border during winter.

Slovenia created 14 checkpoints on their Croatian and Hungarian borders. 12 is between Slovenia and Croatia, while two are on the 102 km-long Hungarian-Slovenian border.

EU citizens may use all border crossings. However, third-country nationals can only enter Slovenia legally via those 14 checkpoints.

We wrote HERE that Slovakia also reestablished border control on the Slovakian-Hungarian border in early October. Before, they sent 500 soldiers to the border to help it protect against illegal migrants. HERE you may read how many illegal migrants tried to break through Hungary’s Southern border.

Missing person: this foreign man was last seen in Hungary – UPDATE

Emir Ćeman missing person

UPDATE

We are delighted that family members have reported that they have found the man they thought was lost.

 

One of our readers described what happened:

“Out of concern and after several days of searching, I am writing to you with a request to publish information about the missing person Emir Ćeman. He left home, Slovenia Ljubljana, on Friday 13 October 2023, and took a train to Romania. He was stopped at the Hungarian-Romanian border and prevented from crossing due to the invalidity of his identity document. On 14 October 2023, the mother received a message stating that he was returning to Budapest.

The last time we got a short answer on 15/10/2023 via the Facebook chat room, Messenger, where it is not clear whether he was sent home or not, since then unfortunately we have had no information about him. He is listed as a missing person on the Slovenian Police website, as well there is a post from yesterday on my profile, where a group of people have already shared the information.

We waited for quite some time and left room for the possible return of the Emir, but now the worry is too great, despite this, we maintain a good mood.”

If you have seen this young man, notify the family or the police.

 

End of Schengen? Another neighbouring country introduced border control from this midnight

Slovenia border control

The border control on the Slovenian-Hungarian border entered into effect this midnight and will last for at least ten days. That is what the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) wrote based on the information from the local press.

According to the MTI, Ljubljana decided to reestablish border control despite Hungary and Slovenia being members of the Schengen Zone because of the Israeli-Palestinian war. They said their law enforcement authorities found evidence that organised crime is rising in the Western Balkans. Furthermore, different terrorist and extreme movements are leaving the conflict zones to evade the consequences of their actions. They head towards Europe to harm safety and stability there.

As a result, Slovenia created 14 checkpoints on the Hungarian-Slovenian and Croatian-Slovenian border. Two will operate between Hungary and Slovenia. EU citizens are allowed to use all border crossings, but third-country nationals can enter Slovenia only at those 14 checkpoints.

We wrote HERE that Hungary’s MOL may acquire the Slovenian oil company OMV Slovenija. Meanwhile, in THIS article, you may check out details and photos of a new Hungarian children’s centre in Slovenia.

Slovakia introduced border control on the Hungarian-Slovakian border due to illegal migration on 5 October. At first, the end date was 14 October, but they prolonged it until 2 November.

BREAKING: Slovenia introduces border controls at Hungarian border

Border control

Due to the terrorist threats in major European cities, Slovenia has also decided to suspend the Schengen agreement and introduce border controls at the Hungarian and Croatian borders.

Border controls in Slovenia

Slovenian Interior Minister Bostjan Poklukar confirmed to N1 television that Slovenia will suspend the Schengen agreement. As a result, border controls will be introduced at the Hungarian and Croatian borders.

The Hungarian and Croatian interior ministers were informed of the announcement. The Slovenian government may approve the measure on Thursday, which will later be sent to the European Commission.

Like Italy, the measure is justified by the growing terrorist threat in Europe. “We see what happened in France and Belgium. Slovenia is no exception,” Poklukar warned. The start date for border controls is still in question, and talks are still ongoing with the EU Commission.

The Slovenian minister said that they are trying to guarantee Slovenia’s security and want to have the least problems for border crossers.

Terror threat in Europe

Recently, two people were killed and one injured in Brussels before a football match. The incident has raised the terror alert to its highest level since 2016. A teacher was stabbed to death in France over the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Shortly afterwards, bomb threats were made at the Louvre and Versailles.

The Counter-Terrorism Coordination Committee has also met in Hungary. In the Committee’s view, the information on terrorism and terrorist acts in the framework of operational and partner cooperation between law enforcement agencies does not justify a change of the medium terror level in Hungary, which has been in place since March 2016.

Slovakia has also introduced border controls due to illegal immigrants. The Hungarian-Slovak border is currently closed until 3 November, index.hu reports.

Opposition party slams plans of battery plant in Hungarian village

Battery plant Hungary

Opposition LMP is initiating that the local mayor call a referendum to ask residents in Alsózsolca, in northern Hungary, about the planned battery recycling plant by a Slovene investor, Erzsébet Schmuck, the party’s co-leader, said on Sunday.

The Hungarian foreign minister announced last week that Slovenia’s Andrada Group would build a battery recycling plant using “the world’s latest technology” in the town. He said that new plant would ensure that “electric batteries will be produced in Hungary without any impact on the environment … with the recycling of batteries also ensured.”

Schmuck told an online press conference that in Hungary “none of the localities can feel safe because of the government’s forging ahead with its large-scale plan of becoming a leading power in battery production”. She criticised the government for having neglected the opinion of local residents which she said should have been asked under an international treaty on the right of citizens to learn in advance about projects affecting their life and environment.

Péter Révész, the party’s local councillor, told the same press conference that the licensing process of battery plants was non-transparent with “the interests of investors overriding environmental protection requirements”. Károly Tibor Angyal, secretary of the party’s national board, insisted that the battery plant investments were a “campaign of bluff” on the part of ruling Fidesz. He said such plants were being set up in places that were already dealing with labour shortages. “New positions [at these plants] are getting filled with foreign guest workers for much lower wages which will ultimately push Hungarian wages down,” he said.

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Hungary-Slovenia gas interconnector to be constructed

Representatives of Hungary and Slovenia have finalised a cooperation agreement under which “construction of a natural gas interconnector has been granted the green light”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook on Tuesday.

Slovenia has so far been Hungary’s only neighbour without a link between the two countries’ gas networks, Szijjártó noted.

The new interconnector will have a capacity of 440 million cubic metres, allowing for supplies via the Italy-Slovenia-Hungary gas corridor, the minister said, adding that the new facility would mark “another crucial step towards Hungary’s energy security”.

The finalised agreement will be signed in Budapest in early October.

Hungary and Slovenia have also strengthened their cooperation in the area of nuclear energy, and voiced support for that “sustainable, cheap, and safe way for producing electricity”, Szijjártó said, adding that Slovenia, similarly to Hungary, would expand the lifespan of its nuclear plant and increase its capacity.

He said the parties at his talks in Slovenia had seen eye to eye concerning major issues around creating a regional electricity exchange, adding that a Hungarian-Serbian-Slovenian initiative could be launched early next year.

Read also:

New battery recycling plant to be built in Hungary

Battery plant Hungary

Slovenia’s Andrada Group will build a battery recycling plant using “the world’s latest technology” at Alsózsolca, in northern Hungary, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said on Tuesday.

The foreign ministry quoted Péter Szijjártó as saying that the new plant would ensure that “electric batteries will be produced in Hungary without any impact on the environment … with the recycling of batteries also ensured.”

According to the minister, Andrada “observes environmental regulations four times as stringent as those enforced in Hungary.” He added that the new technology was Andrada’s own, and that it was aimed at “making battery production circular, saving the environment from any waste”. He also added that the new technology would be first applied at Alsózsolca.

The new plant, to be built at a cost of 10 billion forints (EUR 26.2m), will have the capacity to recycle 10,000 tonnes of batteries a year. The government is contributing 4.7 billion forint to the project, which will create 200 new jobs, the statement added.

Read also:

Get ready: Western fuel prices approaching in Hungary

MOL fuel station

Of the 8 countries in the region, fuel prices in Hungary are the third highest. The tax increase in January could make matters worse. Overall, we are now in the middle range of the 41 European countries for petrol and diesel prices.

The price of fuel in Hungary is the third highest among the eight countries in the region, Népszava reports. According to the portal, the HUF 41 increase in excise tax from 1 January is likely to push up domestic prices even further in the ranking. As it turns out, out of 41 European countries, the current Hungarian petrol price is the 17th cheapest, while the gasoil tariff is the 23rd cheapest. In other words, the prices of both products are now in the mid-range.

Last week, the average price of a litre of petrol in Hungary was HUF 624 (EUR 1.63), and one litre of diesel was HUF 633 (EUR 1.65).

Meanwhile…

  • In Slovakia, the 95 petrol was more than HUF 30 more expensive at HUF 656 (EUR 1.71), but Austria was also significantly more expensive.
  • The best rate for fuel is HUF 499 (EUR 1.30) per litre in Ukraine.
  • Romania is in second place with HUF 557 (EUR 1.45) per litre, followed in order by Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.

On the gasoil market, Serbia is the most expensive with an average tariff of HUF 653 (EUR 1.70), but Austria is only HUF 2 behind. The cheapest diesel market is also Ukraine, where the average price of HUF 493 (EUR 1.28) per litre is HUF 110 (EUR 0.29) cheaper than in Hungary. The second cheapest is Romania, which is around HUF 60 (EUR 0.16) cheaper than Hungary. Slovenia is next, followed by Slovakia and Croatia, where we can also save around HUF 23 per litre on diesel if we go from Hungary.

PM Orbán, FM Szijjártó held talks about war, athletics, aid for Christians

Orbán talks

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Saturday held talks with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, former Slovenian counterpart Janez Jansa, while FM Péter Szijjártó met with his former Lebanese counterpart.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Saturday held talks with Sebastian Coe, who earlier this week was re-elected World Athletics president at the World Athletics Congress in Budapest, the prime minister’s press chief said. Coe praised the new National Athletics Centre, calling it a “wonderful facility”, Bertalan Havasi told MTI. He also hailed the Hungarian organising committee for its work, adding that everything was set for a good World Athletics Championships. Orbán said the World Athletics Championships was also important economically for Hungary and Budapest, arguing that it generated money, but even more importantly, drew the world’s attention to Hungarians. The prime minister thanked the organisers and volunteers for their work.

The king of athletics:

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Orbán holds talks with former Slovenian PM

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with former Slovenian counterpart and head of the Slovenian Democratic Party, Janez Jansa, in his office on Saturday, the prime minister’s press chief said. Orbán and Jansa discussed, among other things, the damage caused by some of the worst storms in Slovenia’s history, for which Hungary has also provided aid in recent weeks, Bertalan Havasi told MTI.

They also discussed the global political situation as well as the importance of peace with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war, and reviewed the work to be done by European conservative Christian parties ahead of next year’s European Parliament elections. Jansa is scheduled to attend the August 20 celebrations and events at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Havasi said.

Read also:

  • Group of 38 Hungarian tourists stranded in Slovenia hotel after violent storms – Read more HERE

Hungarian foreign minister holds talks with former Lebanese FM

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held talks with former Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, in Budapest on Saturday. One of the pillars of Hungary’s Christian foreign policy is providing assistance to Christian communities in need, Szijjártó said at their joint press conference.

He said international politics should be about building relations, not about breaking them. “If you listen to European politicians, you can mostly hear about what separates us and what makes us different from other parts of the world. For some reason, there is less talk about what connects us and what we have in common,” he added.

“It is clearly in Hungary’s national interest to establish civilised cooperation between East and West. The cooperation between Hungary and Lebanon is an excellent example to this,” he said. He added that respect for each other and the shared Christian heritage provided a stable basis for this, as Hungary has a thousand-year-old Christian statehood, and Lebanon is home to the oldest Christian communities.

Szijjártó said that mayors András Cser-Palkovics and Marcellino Hark signed a twinning agreement between their cities, Székesfehérvár and Batroun, which further strengthened the friendship of the two nations. He noted that the government had provided close to 5 billion forints (EUR 13.0m) for the preservation and renovation of ancient Christian sites in Lebanon and the renovation of sixty-six medieval churches was under way with Hungarian assistance. Based on tied-aid agreements signed this year, the government is providing 140 million forints for the renovation of a historical monument, the reconstruction of a monastery church and an orphanage, and the operation of Protestant schools in Lebanon.

Who’s next? – asks Orbán.

Hungary sends more aid to flood-stricken Slovenia

The Charity Service of the Order of Malta is using high-capacity equipment to dry out the walls of buildings after flooding in the city of Kranj in Slovenia, the organisation said on Friday.

An aid consignment worth 10 million forints (EUR 26,000) has been delivered to the city located 20 kms from Ljubljana which has 37,000 residents, the statement said. The charity is working together with local organisations of the Order of Malta Central Administrative Office, it added. In addition to the aid consignment, 15 high-capacity machines used for drying out walls and several portable generators have been delivered by members of the Hungarian charity.

Disaster management authority sending aid to Slovenia

Hungary’s disaster management authority OKF is sending protection equipment to flood-hit Slovenia under a bilateral agreement, OKF said on Friday. The Hungarian package includes 200,000 sandbags, 500 rubber boots, 300 mattresses, 300 blankets, 300 pillows, 600 sheets, 5,000 torches and 4,800 square metres of flood protection foil, the authority said. The equipment will be sent to Ljubljana, to be distributed by local authorities.

HERE you may read about how Hungary tackled with the flood.

PHOTOS: Record-high water level on River Dráva, but Hungary’s flood management ‘superb’

Flood managament River Dráva

The authorities combatting flooding on Hungary’s rivers have performed superbly in recent days, partly owing to experiences gained during the great floods ten years ago, a government official said on Thursday.

Torrential rain in western parts of the country has resulted in the serious swelling of rivers, István György, a state secretary of the prime minister’s office, told a press conference in Drávaszabolcs by the River Dráva, adding that flood barriers in Baranya County have held strong this past week. Instructed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, officials participating in flood protection efforts have maintained close online communication with the government, he noted, also highlighting the contributions of the police, disaster managers, water experts, and local mayors.

The River Dráva at Drávaszabolcs is expected to peak on Friday morning at a near-record level, he said. Fully 31 settlements in the Drávaszabolcs area are being protected, and the first signs of subsidence on the river at Szentborbas has been observed, so flood protection efforts will be maintained in perilous sections of the Dráva until the end of next week, a water management official said.

Here is Orbán’s video:

Hungarian disaster authority offers aid to flood-stricken Slovenia

Hungary’s disaster management authority (OKF) has offered a diving team, pumps and flood protection equipment to Slovenia to help with flood mitigation. The authority said on Thursday that it had offered a 22-member diving team equipped with all-terrain vehicles and boats, 6 high-performance pumps and operating personnel, 2 excavators, 2 tipper trucks, 2 technical experts, sandbags, and other tools necessary for flood protection. The aid will only be sent to Slovenia once it has been accepted, OKF’s statement said.

Hungarian settlements in danger near flooding river

river mura

Flood defences are being strengthened in four settlements in Zala County, in western Hungary, around the flooding River Mura, which is likely to peak on Monday night, the local disaster management authorities have said.

Volunteers have used thousands of sandbags and mobile barriers to protect local villages, according to the Zala County Disaster Management Directorate’s website.

The water level of the River Mura was 548 centimeters at Letenye on Monday afternoon, and it is expected to peak at midnight.

The highest water level previously measured at Letenye was 554 centimeters.

Flood defence work is under way in other parts of the country, too, after the water level on the River Dráva reached a record 491 centimeters at Őrtilos, in the south-west, 15 centimetres higher than the previous record, the national water management directorate (OVF) told MTI.

The river’s water level is expected to peak at the southern border village of Drávaszabolcs on Thursday, topping the 596 centimeter record measured in 1972, the OVF said.

The directorate said it was prepared to assign experts to oversee the flood protection efforts to settlements where the mayor deems it necessary.

Hungary sends help to flood-ravaged Slovenia

Hungary’s armed forces have sent two helicopters to assist relief efforts in Slovenia as the country battles one of the worst floods in its recent history, the defence ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Plans are for the Hungarian troops to deliver non-perishable food supplies and medicine to flooded areas within a 100km radius of the Slovenj Gradec airport in northern Slovenia, the ministry cited Colonel Tamás Bali, the commander in charge of the operation, as saying.

The two H145 helicopters can deliver some 700kg of food in one pass to those in need, the statement said.

The Hungarian Armed Forces are cooperating in their relief mission with the Slovenian authorities, Bali added.

Changes in Budapest-Slovenia railway timetables

Hungary's public transport changes bus schedules

Passengers travelling by train from Budapest to Slovenia should expect changes due to the heavy rains and flooding that hit the country, the Hungarian State Railways, MÁV, announced.

According to MÁV, based on the Slovenian Railways, the following changes are expected.

  • All international trains are in service. On the Celje-Ljubljana section, replacement buses are used for part or all of the journey.
  • Occasionally passengers may have to change trains at Hodos and/or Maribor. Travel times will increase significantly on all routes.
  • The Citadella international daytime train typically runs between Budapest and Celje, from where you have to take a replacement bus.
  • One of the trains of the Istria international overnight train remained in Ljubljana and is now running between Koper/Rijeka-Ljubljana. The other train will run between Budapest and Hodos-Maribor-Celje, depending on the situation. Passengers who have booked a sleeper or berth should expect to be unable to travel the night as per the service they have booked.
  • Bicycle transport is not possible due to the replacement buses.

Travelling to Slovenia? HERE is the story of 38 Hungarian tourists stuck in Slovenia due to the extreme weather conditions.

Hungarian army helicopters in Slovenia, security of Hungarians must not be jeopardised

Floods in Slovenia

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Sunday that following cooperation talks with Marjan Sarec, his Slovenian counterpart, the Hungarian army would send helicopters to Slovenia to help rescue operations in the neighbouring country.

He said a detailed military planning had already started. Neighbouring countries can always rely on Hungary’s help, the minister said. Storms and heavy rains in recent days have caused massive floods and significant damage in Slovenia, he said. We wrote about a Hungarian group trapped in a Slovenian hotel due to the extreme weather HERE.

Security of Hungarians beyond borders must not be jeopardised

The United States’ request from Hungary to disclose the personal data of 900,000 ethnic Hungarians living beyond the borders is “unrealistic” because a disclosure of such data would jeopardise their security, Bence Rétvári, the Hungarian interior ministry’s state secretary, told public broadcaster Kossuth rádió on Sunday.

The two countries have been making every effort over the past several years to find a solution to standing issues, Retvari said, noting that not long ago, on June 10, Hungary had sent a diplomatic note containing proposals. After this, a decision was announced by the United States to tighten visa rules for Hungarians, he said. “It is an unprecedented and unrealistic request from a country to disclose the personal data of several hundreds of thousands of its citizens because every country safeguards such data with legal guarantees, so does Hungary,” Retvari said.

He said that law enforcement cooperation with the United States had been successful over the past years with the two sides’ continuing coordination on cases implicated. Retvari said Hungary would certainly respond to every case signalled by the US within the shortest possible time. He said proceedings in alleged unlawful cases had been launched and if a breach of law was established, the Hungarian citizenship has been revoked. Hungary will maintain dialogue and cooperate with its ally, the United States, in each case indicated, he said.

We wrote HERE about further possible Washington restrictions.

 

Group of 38 Hungarian tourists stranded in Slovenia hotel after violent storms

slovenia flood weather

A group of 38 Hungarian tourists were stranded in Slovenia due to extreme weather conditions on Saturday. The travellers were staying in a four-star hotel in Laško when the flooding of the Savinja river put them in a dangerous situation. There have already been three fatalities in Slovenia due to the extreme harsh weather.

Group of Hungarians stranded in Slovenia

A group of 38 Hungarian tourists are stranded in the town of Laško in eastern Slovenia. One of them reported to Index, along with several media outlets, from the scene how the four-star hotel on the banks of the Savinja River where they were staying was flooded.

“At 7 AM, the sirens of the emergency services could already be heard. Staff members went from room to room to warn us of the danger,” recalled Boglárka Szabó, one of the Hungarians stranded in Slovenia. You can check out the photos Szabó and the others took HERE.

The group was due to leave the hotel on Saturday. However, their departure, scheduled for 10 AM, was cancelled due to the storms. The roads around the hotel were already impassable by that time, so the Hungarian group, preparing to leave, returned to the hotel, 444.hu reports.

Hotel flooded, bridges floating

The hotel’s underground car park was flooded, so staff broke into several cars to move them to a safer location. Firefighters even attempted to pump the water out, but this failed as the water level kept rising.

Boglárka Szabó noted that the lift shafts were also full of water, so many people had to use the stairs. There were also a number of Paralympians in the hotel who were particularly badly affected by the situation. The water flooded the ground floor and the reception area, and hotel staff also used PUR foam, rags and sandbags to try to reduce the inflow of water.

“The water flow and level of the Savinja River, next to the hotel, has risen dramatically, bringing with it a lot of debris such as refrigerators, car tyres, oil drums, hay bales, factory pipes and much more. Much of this was caught on bridges that cross the rivers. No wonder the bridges were also floating,” the message concluded. The city and its region have received about 200 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours.

Deaths caused by extreme weather

There have been several deaths in the extreme weather in Slovenia. So far, at least three people have died in the country. One of them was a Slovak citizen, while the other two were Dutch. They all died in the area of the city of Kranj. The exact cause and details of their deaths have not yet been released by the authorities, Index writes.