Floods and fires cause state of disaster in populated areas in Bulgaria

After two tidal waves on the mountain rivers Shashka and Zlinska, a state of disaster has been declared in the Strumyani municipality, Blagoevgrad region. Seven people have been evacuated, so far there is no information about deaths or people in distress. There is no water supply and electricity supply in the area, and the railway line has also been interrupted.

“The amount of precipitation was quite large yesterday late in the evening. Colleagues are directed to Strumyani and Ilindentsi, access is difficult due to huge trees and sediments that the water brought. There is damage to bridge structures,” said the director of the Main Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection, Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov. He added that a lot of work lies ahead until normal life is restored.

A partial state of disaster has been declared in the Haskovo villages of Dinevo, Koren, Krivo Pole, Malevo, in the lands of which a fire has been raging for the third day. The fire, which covered about 14 thousand acres, was localized this morning. The fire was caused by a 13-year-old boy who was seen smoking cigarettes with a friend near Dinevo. He subsequently set fire to dry vegetation to clean the area.

The search continues for the 58-year-old man who disappeared in a flood after heavy rain in Peshtera, Pazardzhik municipality. The situation in Peshtera and Batak has normalized, but the road between the two settlements remained closed overnight.

“There are collapsed sections and the possibility of greater disasters,” said the deputy mayor of Peshtera, Galabina Karamitreva. The partial state of emergency remains in force in the Satovcha village of Kochan and on part of the road between Kochan and Zhizhevo due to damage caused by the heavy rain.

Edited by Diana Tsankova