Storm in Slovenia causes damage exceeding €500 million: PM

LJUBLJANA - The storm and record rainfall that hit Slovenia on Friday have affected two-thirds of the country and the resulting value of damage will probably exceed €500 million (US$551 million), Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said on Saturday.

As settlements are flooded, landslides have occurred and roads closed, efforts to return normal life will be daunting, Golob said after holding an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.

According to Xinhua which quoted the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), the storm on Friday is the worst natural disaster in the history of the country. It has claimed the lives of three people.

Although the amount of precipitation in Slovenia is slowly decreasing and the weather conditions have begun to calm down, many roads are still closed, the STA said. Thunderstorms are forecast for Sunday afternoon, but not much additional rain is expected. - BERNAMA-XINHUA