site.btaOver 300 People Join Recovery Effort after Strumyani Flood

More than 300 people from various government institutions, emergency services, specialized units and volunteer groups are working on the ground in Strumyani Municipality to help deal with the aftermath of flooding caused by heavy rain on August 24 and 25, the municipal administration said on Monday.

The response effort brings together state and local authorities, specialized services, military personnel, teams from various agencies and volunteers, who are working in the affected areas to clear debris and accumulated mud, remove fallen trees and vegetation, clean up waste and provide assistance to residents. Twenty servicemen from the Third Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Third Brigade Command of the Bulgarian Land Forces are also continuing their work in the affected village. 

The teams are assisting local residents and carrying out extensive cleanup and recovery work in the affected settlements, with operations continuing with full mobilization and the main priority being to restore normal life in the municipality as quickly as possible. "The priority is to overcome the consequences of the disaster as quickly as possible and fully restore infrastructure in the most severely affected parts of the village," the Defence Ministry stressed.

Strumyani Municipality noted that sufficient quantities of bottled and drinking water had been secured for residents, volunteers and emergency teams working in the affected areas and thanked all people working on the ground.

A state of emergency had been declared in the municipal centre of Strumyani and the village of Ilindentsi due to the worsening situation following a severe storm and torrential rain late on August 24. The heavy rainfall caused a major surge in the Shashka and Zlinskа rivers. The state of emergency was in effect until 1:00 a.m. on August 31.