Residents of Zubin Potok: Explosion on the Ibar–Lepenac canal brought fear into everyday life

In a powerful explosion that took place exactly one year ago, on 29 November 2024, in the village of Varage in the municipality of Zubin Potok, the Ibar–Lepenac canal was damaged. On the same day, eight residents of Kolasin were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incident. One year later, locals from the area reluctantly recall the event which, as they say, put the entire Zubin Potok on alert and brought fear into daily life.

“After a year, literally nothing has changed. I believe no one from the Serbian community nor from Belgrade is responsible for this. In the end, the investigation itself was stuck in place and nothing was resolved. Aside from the fact that several of our young men are still under indictment, there has been no trial... Nothing. We expect at least that to be resolved and for the innocence of those people to be proven. As for the rest, I think all of that falls on the conscience of the Kosovo authorities,” a resident of Zubin Potok said.

Residents of nearby villages also say they do not feel completely safe, especially when Kosovo Police vehicles pass through the streets.

“For now, it’s safe. I don’t come to the town often, maybe once every two months, maybe even less. No one bothers me, but somehow I have a phobia. Honestly, when they pass by me, I don’t feel comfortable. We are used to living in the village, but it’s just that I don’t feel at ease when I see them,” a resident of Brnjak said.

A resident of Ugljare, who lives near the canal, recalls the explosion for Kosovo Online and says it was strong and disturbing.

“We didn’t know what had happened. It was terrible. The house shook. My house is right next to the main road. We’re used to KFOR soldiers, they’ve been here for years. Nothing is surprising anymore – KFOR, EULEX, helicopters in the sky... None of that is new, but pleasant it is not. And free we are not. You don’t know what might happen today or tomorrow. That Ibar–Lepenac, God forbid if they were a bit further ahead, where the canal is... Our houses, everything would be swept away, I don’t know how far... The water would take everything all the way to Kraljevo,” she said.

A woman from Kolasin says that things are currently calm, but that citizens are never fully secure given the overall situation.

“There haven’t been any incidents affecting us personally as citizens here, but we are never sure, considering the overall situation, which is not good, equally for both Serbs and Albanians,” she said.

A pensioner from Zubin Potok also believes that no one benefited from the explosion itself.

“I am a pensioner, I don’t bother anyone, and no one bothers me, and that’s it. In my opinion, no one gained anything from the explosion, absolutely no one. We’re used to this, we live the way we live, and that’s it. I hope something like this doesn’t happen again. If people start thinking a bit more positively, we could all live nicely in some kind of normality,” the woman said.