Four killed in Macedonia floods

SKOPJE - Reuters

Four people including a seven-year-old child were killed and one person is still missing after heavy rain caused flash floods and mudslides in several villages in western Macedonia, police said on August 4. 

Another dozen people were injured but their condition was stable, said a police spokesman in Tetovo, a town in the area that was hardest hit by the flooding. 

The Balkan republic of 2 million people was struck late on August 3 by the storm, which brought torrential rain, hail and strong winds. 

The extent of the damage was still being assessed but at least a dozen houses in Tetovo were damaged and streets were under water. Mudslides have engulfed local roads and cut off a number of mountainous villages around the town. 

"We have engaged all institutions, including those on state level, to help the people," Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said while visiting the area late on Monday. 

The government was due to hold an emergency session later on August 4 to decide about further measures to help the affected areas.