Bulgaria: Disaster Situation in 3 Municipalities in Smolyan Region due to Torrential Rains

Incidents | December 12, 2021, Sunday // 11:49| views

BNR

Three municipalities in Smolyan district are in a state of emergency due to cut roads due to rivers overflowing their banks. These are Rudozem, Nedelino and Borino. A partial state of emergency has also been declared for the Devin village of Trigrad.

There has been no electricity in the entire Borino municipality since last night. The villages of Yagodina, Buynovo and Kozhari are without access. The main roads of the republican network have been cut off. Social networks are flooded with videos of wild rivers in the mountainous area. There are no reports of people in distress at this time,

The situation in Rudozem is difficult due to the intensive rise of the rivers Ardenska, Chepinska, Elhovska.

"At around 11.30 p.m. the mass problems started - landslides on the streets, roads. At 12.30 a.m. the level of the Chepinska and Elhovska rivers rose to a level at which it began to flow out of the riverbed and overflow in front of the municipality itself. At 1 o'clock the electricity in almost the whole municipality was cut off - we have flooded substations and that is why at 1 o'clock I declared a state of emergency. There are no evacuees at the moment, some have chosen to move to a safer place, but around 3.30 a.m. they all returned home and I guess they are already asleep. The overflow of the river and the flooding of the streets in the central part of the city made us take action to inform the population that there is a danger and evacuation is possible. I emphasize - not because of the overflow from the dam," said the mayor of Rudozem Rumen Pehlivanov.

At 2 o'clock after midnight a state of emergency was declared in the municipality of Nedelino. The level of the riverbed of the Nedelinska River has overflowed in several places. The water flooded the pumping station in the village of Krayna. A landslide closed a street and the flowing water was directed to the houses. Urgent measures have been taken. No people have been evacuated, said Mayor Boyan Kehayov.

The good news for Nedelino is that the rain stopped at 3 o'clock.

The traffic on the Nedelino - Byal Izvor road is temporarily in one lane due to a failed part of the road in the town of Nedelino and two landslides at the 9th and 12th km, the road agency announced. The traffic on the Simitli-Gotse Delchev road in the area of Dobrinishte is two-way in one lane due to a landslide. The movement is regulated.

Three municipalities in Smolyan district are in a state of emergency due to interrupted roads due to rivers overflowing their banks. These are Rudozem, Nedelino and Borino. A partial state of emergency has also been declared for the Devin village of Trigrad.

The situation in the municipality of Devin is also complicated. During the night, the Vacha River overflowed its banks in several places. The traffic on the road Devin-Krichim for the movement of trucks has been stopped, said the deputy regional governor Andrey Kadishev. The republican road is undermined at the entrance of the town in the area of the Devin checkpoint by the river Vacha and is dangerous for passing motor vehicles. The traffic is regulated by the police. Due Vacha overflowing its river bed, the traffic was stopped in the Nastan district and between Teshel and the village of Grohotno. At 7 o'clock a team of the municipality starts a patrol, specified the mayor of Devin Zdravko Ivanov.

The traffic on the road Smolyan - Chepelare at km 80 is two-way in one lane due to fallen large trees. Many settlements in the area are without electricity.

The Borin villages of Yagodina, Buynovo and Kozhari are without electricity and without a road, said the mayor of Yagodina Mitko Sakalev:

"The river, which came out on the road a little lower 50 m, dug the asphalt pavement, one of the bridges was undermined… We are cut off, there is no passage. The river has already receded, there is little on the road, but it has caused great damage. So far, there are no calls for people in need. "

The traffic on the Zlatograd-Benkovski road has been restored, the traffic was temporarily difficult last night due to the overflowing river Varbitsa.

No one was injured.

"We have declared a state of emergency in Nedelino and Rudozem. The rivers overflow. The whole village in Zabardo is flooded. A bridge has been torn off in Elhovets. In Shiroka Laka we also have a broken bridge and flooded houses. In Mogilitsa it is also flooded, Pamporovo, Stoykite, the road along Malinite is interrupted. Dospat-Tsrancha in the direction of Barotin is also impassable. In Devin, the situation is also deplorable and I am currently receiving additional information from other places, which will be summarized a little later," said Deputy Regional Governor Andrey Kadishev.