Heavy Snowfall Paralyzes Northwestern Bulgaria: Power Outages and Road Closures Reported

The early October snowfall caused serious disruptions across Northwestern Bulgaria, leaving entire municipalities without power and complicating traffic. In the Vidin region, Belogradchik and Chuprene remain without electricity after heavy snow damaged six power lines. According to ERM-West, repair teams are already on site, though they face difficulties due to impassable sections. Authorities expect the electricity supply to be restored by the end of the day.

In Chuprene municipality, the snow cover reached nearly 25 centimeters over the past 24 hours. The regional governor of Vidin, Ani Harutyunyan, convened an urgent meeting of the Disaster Protection Headquarters to coordinate efforts. Damage was also reported on two other power lines that serve Vidin, Kula, and Gramada, but those problems have already been resolved.

Road maintenance teams are working intensively to clear fallen trees and branches. Six snowplows and a specialized mulching machine are deployed in the Belogradchik and Chuprene areas. Meanwhile, the Petrohan Pass remains closed in both directions, creating traffic jams for both cars and heavy trucks along the Montana–Vidin route. To prevent further disruptions, Automobile Inspection teams are on standby to assist traffic flow along the E-79 toward Vidin and Danube Bridge 2.

The regional fire safety directorate reported several incidents linked to the severe weather. By midday, firefighters had responded to three cases of fallen trees, one flooded school cafeteria in Bregovo, and a flooded basement in the village of Gradets. All situations were resolved without casualties. Authorities stress that, at present, there is no risk of flooding in the region and no people in danger. Commissioner Stiliyan Peshev ordered regular updates on the situation three times a day, with immediate reporting of new incidents. Meteorologists, however, continue to warn of possible flash floods in rivers in both Vidin and Montana districts.

The situation in the Tran region, however, escalated further. After heavy rainfall turned into wet snow, the municipality declared a state of disaster. Thick snowdrifts and fallen trees have cut off entire settlements, blocking roads and leaving residents without power and mobile connections for over 18 hours. Schools and kindergartens in Tran were closed, although local authorities assured that children already present at these facilities would be taken care of.

Officials explained that the sudden snowfall, combined with trees still carrying leaves, caused branches to break under the weight of the snow, damaging sections of the electricity network. The lack of power also cut mobile connections across the municipality. Emergency crews from the “West” Regional Response Team are working on restoring electricity, with energy companies estimating supply to Breznik and Tran could return by late afternoon.

Local authorities urged residents not to travel due to numerous blocked sections. Roads near Leva Reka, Vidrar, and through Melnite remain closed because of fallen trees, while passage through Penkyovtsi is extremely difficult due to debris. Residents are using social media to warn one another about impassable areas.

Despite the complications, the main road II-63 remains open under winter conditions. Teams from State Forestry and road maintenance continue clearing trees and branches from blocked roads. The situation is further complicated by strong winds, which slow down the work of emergency crews. For now, officials assure that all responsible institutions remain mobilized and are working continuously to normalize conditions and restore power.