Four dead and 100 injured in 2023 Croatian storm - one firefighter killed on duty

Around 100 people are injured and four have been killed on Wednesday during one of the worst local storms in recent years, reports local Croatian media.

On July 19th, a pedestrian and a driver lost their lives in the Croatian capital Zagreb after trees fell during a storm. A man suffered serious injuries after being crushed by a construction crane.

The storm later moved east, where another driver was struck by a falling tree and died. In addition, a firefighter lost his life in a rescue operation.

According to Croatian public service channel HRT, the storm in Zagreb lasted about 45 minutes. In that short time, residents experienced hail, rain and winds of 120 kilometers per hour /  33.33 M/S.

In some parts of the country, wind speeds reached 180 kilometers per hour, corresponding to 50.0 M/S.

The roof of a police station  blown away

Several victims that HRT spoke to say that they cannot remember ever experiencing such a strong storm.

"I have never seen anything like it. It was like the end of the world. It didn't even look like this during  the war", an elderly man said to the channel.

"I just managed to get the car into the garage when roofs started flying off", said one woman.

In the town of Pozega, the roof of the police station was blown off and parts of the country's train traffic is at a standstill. Around 100 people are said to have sought help for injuries.

700 emergency calls in 45 minutes

In Zagreb, a local bus with passengers is said to have been hit by advertising poster stands and traffic was paralyzed when both trams and traffic lights stopped working.

Several people were trapped in their cars and the capital registered 700 emergency calls in 45 minutes.

Authorities are urging residents to avoid visiting parks until an inspection of damaged trees can be done.

Photo Credit: (Cover photo above is for illustration only. Not related to this recent storm)

A big wave recorded in Croatia in November 2019. Wikipedia Commons License. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/183939796@N07/49081626107/