Oil slick suspected on Kupa River near Lekenik

The news in Croatian

1. pojaviti se
   početi se vidjeti ili postojati na nekom mjestu ↩︎
2. mrlja  (f.)
   manje, često nepravilno obojeno mjesto na površini nečega ↩︎
3. zaštitni
   koji služi za obranu ili čuvanje od opasnosti ili štete ↩︎
4. barijera  (f.)
   fizička prepreka koja zaustavlja ili usporava kretanje nečega ↩︎
5. stanovnik  (m.)
   osoba koja stalno živi na nekom području ili u nekom mjestu ↩︎
6. podrijetlo  (n.)
   mjesto, vrijeme ili način na koji je nešto nastalo ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What did the firefighters from Petrinja and Stružec do when the oily stain appeared on the Kupa River?

Question 2: Why did the firefighters want to protect the river?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
pojaviti se	to appear
mrlja  (f.)	stain
zaštitni	protective
barijera  (f.)	barrier
stanovnik  (m.)	inhabitant
podrijetlo  (n.)	origin

Read the full story

Emergency services in central Croatia were called out on Wednesday evening after a large oily patch was seen floating on the River Kupa, moving downstream towards the towns of Lekenik and Petrinja. Firefighters from Petrinja and the nearby village of Stružec were sent to the area to try to limit any possible pollution.

According to the Public Fire Brigade of Petrinja (JVP Petrinja), they received a report at 21:09 about an oily film on the water surface near Novo Selište, close to Petrinja’s so‑called “water factory”, a local term for the water treatment plant. Their main goal was to prevent any contamination from entering this facility, which processes drinking water for the town.

Because dealing with pollution on a river requires specialised equipment, JVP Petrinja requested support from the volunteer fire brigade DVD Stružec. During the night, crews started installing protective and absorbent barriers across the river. These floating barriers are used to slow and capture oil and other substances on the water surface.

Local officials and media report that the first sightings of the oily patch were probably on a stretch of the Kupa that belongs to the Pisarovina area, further upstream. From there, the slick is believed to have moved downriver in the direction of Letovanić, which is part of the Municipality of Lekenik, and then towards Petrinja and eventually Sisak. Because several towns along the river could be affected, all relevant services, including the county Civil Protection authority, were put on alert.

The mayor of the Municipality of Lekenik, Božidar Antolec, confirmed to Croatian media that he had been informed of a report about a patch on the Kupa between Kiselica and Lekenik. He said he was going to the site himself to obtain more information, indicating that the situation was still being checked on the ground.

Firefighters reported that they had carried out an initial visual inspection of the affected area. Based on this first check, they stated that there were no immediate threats to the local population at that moment. However, they continued their preventive work on the river as a precaution, since the exact origin and composition of the oily substance were still unknown.

The incident comes at a time when the River Kupa in this region has been rising quickly. Around Letovanić, which lies in the Lekenik municipality, the river reportedly rose by about four metres in 24 hours. A high and fast‑flowing river can make it harder for emergency teams to track and contain a floating slick, increasing concern about potential environmental impact and risks to drinking water supplies.

So far, Croatian media outlets agree on several key points: an unidentified oily patch was seen on the Kupa, fire brigades from Petrinja and Stružec deployed quickly, and barriers were placed on the river as a preventive measure. There is also consensus that, at the time of reporting, there were no reported health risks for residents. What remains unclear, and is highlighted by multiple sources, is where the substance came from and what exactly it is. Investigations and monitoring by local authorities and emergency services are expected to continue.

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