A severe rainstorm struck Bosnia overnight, flooding several towns in central and southern parts of the country, closing roads and leaving houses without electricity.

The rescue services in the south of the country reported several people missing and called on volunteers and the army to assist.

Rescue services in the towns of Jablanica and Kiseljak said the power was off overnight and mobile phones lost their signal.

The Jablanica fire station said the town was completely inaccessible because roads and train lines were closed.

“The police informed us that the railroad is also blocked,” rescuers said.

“You can’t get in or out of Jablanica at the moment. Landline phones are working, but mobile phones have no signal.”

They urged people not to venture out on the flooded streets.

The heavy rains and strong winds were also reported in neighbouring Croatia, where several roads were closed and the capital Zagreb prepared for the swollen Sava River to burst its banks.

Heavy winds have hampered traffic on the southern Adriatic Sea coastline and flash floods caused by heavy rain threatened several towns and villages in Croatia.