Couple who died in each other's arms found crushed under tons of rubble after flash floods swept through central Bosnia-Herzegovina

The bodies of husband and wife Irmela and Jasmin Cilic were found in an embrace under the wreckage of their home in Donja Jablanica on 6 October. They were, reports local media, among 15 who died when the devastating floods and mudslides swept away village buildings in moments.

Rescuers made the heartbreaking discovery as they picked through the mud and rubble looking for survivors. One friend told local media: "It’s hard to describe the sadness we feel.

"Irmela and Jasmin were inseparable, their love was known to everyone, and perhaps the only comfort in these moments is that they were together to the end." Local media reports say that heavy rain apparently triggered a landslide from a quarry above the village that engulfed houses.

Water levels are said to have risen to the roofline of some buildings. And in some parts of the region cars were swept off the roads and train tracks ripped up.

Government officials declared a state of emergency after the floods hit on 4 October. Development Minister Vojin Mijatovic said the country had witnessed a terrible disaster and has appealed for calm.

Story:Newsflash