Bulgaria to test BG-ALERT emergency warning system on June 2

Bulgaria will conduct a nationwide test of its BG-ALERT emergency warning system on June 2 between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. local time, the Interior Ministry said.

The system is used to send warning messages to mobile phones in cases of disasters, emergencies and other dangerous situations. Authorities said the test is intended to check the system's functioning through a dedicated mobile test channel. The Interior Ministry also reminded the public that sirens from the National Early Warning and Notification System will sound across the country at noon on June 2 to mark the Day of Hristo Botev and of all those who died for Bulgaria's freedom.

Every year, Bulgaria observes a minute of silence on June 2 in memory of revolutionary poet and national hero Hristo Botev and those who lost their lives in the country's liberation struggles. Traffic and daily activities traditionally come to a halt as sirens sound nationwide.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova