Byzantine Blog

Europe’s Deadly Summer

Between the torrential rains flooding the North-West and blistering heat scorching the South-East, Europe has rarely seen a deadlier summer than June-July 2007. Hundreds of people lost their lives due to heatstroke, cardiovascular problems and other illnesses aggravated by the heat, with Hungary reporting the highest number of deaths—up to 500—in the latest heatwave.

Thanks to alertness and efficiency of the medical staff working day and night without a break, as if the state was under national emergency, Serbia did not have a single case of death caused by the heat, but the raging fires that have ripped through the entire region, including Greece and Italy, have destroyed large areas of forests and a significant quantity of annual crops in Serbia too.

Ilyushin to Rescue

Russian water-bomber Ilyushin Il-76TD was sent upon the explicit instruction by the President Vladimir Putin to join Serbian firefighters, army, police and population and help combat the fires cropping up like wild mushrooms after rain.

Three days later all of some 50-plus fires were extinguished and under control. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica thanked the 11 Russian pilots and crew members and invited them to spend holidays with their families in Serbia.

Meanwhile, the police has determined that some fires raging across Stara planina (Old Mountain) were caused by human carelessness and negligence (a shepherd from the village of Izvor who discarded lit cigarette butt into dry grass, three beekeepers suspected of causing the fire near the village of Temska by blowing smoke into their beehives and a woman who lit a heap of dry grass and hay in her backyard with the blaze rapidly spreading onto the nearby pine forest). The criminal complaints against suspects are expected to be filed and the perpetrators arrested.

Watermelon Fest and Youth Olympics in Serbia

With the fires being extinguished and temperatures returning to normal, the Serbs are back to finding fun ways to cool off. After shooting “Serbian Scars” was just finished and with Watermelon Fest in full swing, they also hosted this year’s European Youth Olympics Festival (EYOF), reveling in the highest grades received for the Belgrade Olympic village and organization of the games, with the President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge stating this was “one of the best organized events in a 16-year old tradition of this sports manifestation.”

Save for the few odd German tourists here and there, the hot Serbian summer seems to be proceeding in the right direction after all, with today’s triumph of the youngest generation of Serbian basketball players who won gold at the U16 championship in Greece (with Dejan Musli named the MVP of the tournament), joining their waterpolo compatriots who won gold in the European Youth Olympics Festival two days ago in Belgrade.