Obilic residents report high cancer rates near Kosovo coal plants

Residents of Obilic, Kosovo, report severe health crises, claiming that nearly every family in the locality has been affected by cancer. The community is situated between the Kosova A and Kosova B thermal power plants, which provide the majority of the country's electricity by burning locally extracted lignite, a highly polluting form of coal.

The Kosovo Parliament has designated Obilic as an “environmental danger zone” due to persistent pollution. While locals report widespread illnesses, including throat cancer, the lack of a national cancer registry makes it difficult to conduct a formal study to confirm if cancer rates in the area are statistically higher than in other regions.