On Feb. 21, Zajecar Mayor Bosko Nicic said that the situation in several settlements surrounding Zajecar was critical after severe flooding, which has forced the municipal authorities to ask for assistance from
neighboring municipalities.

The Beli Timok River has risen to a record level of 370 centimeters, flooding over 250 homes. "I am afraid that this is not the end of the disaster and that we will face bigger dangers when the Beli Timok and Crni Timok rivers connect at their confluence. If this happens, the village of Vrzogrnac will be in great danger," Nicic said.

Nicic also requested help in the form of boats from neighboring municipalities to help efforts to evacuate people and save property.

The settlement of Izvorski Put is currently the most endangered. A total of 110 people have been evacuated from this area where transportation by road has been rendered impossible. A railway running between Zajecar and Nis is also no longer functional.

Drainage canals are also being dug as part of efforts to drain the overflowing Timok.

Nicic said he hoped that weather forecasts announcing colder weather and sub-zero temperatures during the night would prove accurate, as this, he explained, would prevent river levels from further rising as a result of snow melting.

He said that people living in endangered areas had been evacuated and settled in hotels and the local sports centers.

The endangered areas and flood and emergency rescue crews were visited by Interior Minister Ivica Dacic during the afternoon.

A total of 40 convicts at the Zajecar county prison were evacuated together with 31 other detainees, a statement released by the Department for Executing Prison Sanctions said.

"The prisoners have been temporarily moved to the Negotin district prison while the convicts have been relocated to the Nis jail. According to weather reports, the floods will peak tomorrow, so these individuals will return to Zajecar when conditions allow this," the statement added.