site.btaCrews Clear Flood-Hit Regions as Rivers Stay Under Watch

The situation in flood-hit Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Lovech is gradually normalizing after torrential rain on Friday and Saturday, local officials said on Sunday. Crews are clearing settlements and restoring damaged infrastructure, while river levels and water supplies remain under watch.

Stara River has burst its banks, and the water has swept away part of the route of the inlet collector to the Karlovo Wastewater Treatment Plant, Water Supply and Sewerage – Plovdiv told BTA. The accident occurred on Saturday night. Work is underway to repair the damage, and a duplicate emergency route will be built farther away from the river. The river level remains quite high, but there is no danger to the town, Karlovo Mayor Emil Kabaivanov said.

Yantra River has burst its banks near Byala and Tsenovo, but there is no danger to the population or infrastructure, Ruse Regional Governor Lyubomir Vladimirov said. Vladimirov added that there is a large accumulation of trees in the riverbed near bridge facilities at the villages of Dolna Studena and between Karamanovo and Novgrad in Tsenovo Municipality. In both municipalities, Byala and Tsenovo, volunteer formations are supporting the work of the institutions. The latest data show that Alexander Stamboliyski Dam continues to overflow at about 170 cubic metres per second, which may cause an additional rise in the level of Yantra River over the next 24 hours. “The situation is being monitored continuously, and at this stage there is categorically no danger to people or their property,” Vladimirov said.

The situation in Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Lovech after the torrential rain on Friday and Saturday is gradually normalizing. Work is underway to clear the affected settlements and restore flood-damaged infrastructure.

In Sevlievo Municipality, teams are working continuously until normal water supply is fully restored, Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding EAD said. As a result of the heavy rainfall on May 22, 2026 and the critical rise in the level of Vidima River, the western water supply branch, which crosses the river, has been swept away. The inlet water main supplies the town of Sevlievo and the villages of Sennik, Dushevo, Kormyansko, Rahovtsi, Petko Slaveykov and Hirevo. Water supply is currently cut off because of the rupture of the facility. The affected section is 87 metres long. State Agency State Reserve and Wartime Stocks will provide 120,960 litres of bottled drinking water free of charge to Sevlievo Municipality following a request from the Gabrovo Regional Governor in connection with the state of emergency declared in the region, the State Reserve press centre said. Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Nataliya Efremova and Minister of Agriculture and Food Plamen Abrovski will check the progress in restoring the failed western water supply branch for Sevlievo on May 25, 2026, the government press service said.

The situation in Apriltsi is normalizing, Apriltsi Mayor Tihomir Kukenski told BTA. Kukenski said that Vidima River and Ostreshka River have returned to their beds. Heavy machinery is not working on the ground on Sunday, and people are clearing by hand. From May 25, 2026, however, machinery will again be used where necessary, Kukenski said. From Monday, a municipal commission will begin inspecting the affected houses and recording the damage. The elderly woman who was rescued from a flooded home has been accommodated with relatives in Sofia. The tourists from Pleven Chalet have also returned, Kukenski added.

On the orders of Minister of Justice Nikolay Naydenov, inmates from the Veliko Tarnovo open-type prison hostel with Lovech Prison have joined emergency recovery work in Gabrovo and Veliko Tarnovo. They are helping clear public spaces and roads and supporting the local population at the most critical points. The work is being carried out in strict compliance with security measures and the rights of persons deprived of liberty. The inmates have a low risk of reoffending and are under the supervision of the prison hostel’s security staff.

Mobile teams of the Social Assistance Agency (SAA) are beginning inspections in Sevlievo and Gabrovo to record flood damage, the agency’s press service said. SAA said emergency measures have been taken to support families affected by the torrential rain and flooding across the country. Mobile teams of social workers are visiting the affected settlements, inspecting the damage and advising citizens on the possibility of receiving one-off assistance to cover urgent basic needs arising from the emergency.