site.btaUPDATED Severe Weather Hits Bulgaria, Three Men Die in Flood

Bulgaria was hit by severe weather on Friday, with snow in the western parts and torrential rain in the East. Three men, including two rescuers died in a coastal resort after heavy rainfall caused flash floods. Traffic was seriously disturbed as early snow closed mountain passes.

A state of emergency was declared Friday in the regions of Burgas, Montana, and Pernik.

Several members of the government held a news conference to report what measures have been taken to deal with the situation in Burgas Region where the flood has been deadly. Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev stated that the Government's current priority is saving human lives.

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov convened the Operational Headquarters and activated a disaster plan for flooding.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov cautioned that official information from the European Flood Awareness System was received the day before, warning of expected weather-related complications in some parts of the country for October 3. During the night, extreme rainfall was recorded over a short period of time on Southeastern Bulgaria and the BG-Alert system was activated by the Regional Governor of Burgas.

Automatic weather stations measured precipitation levels of over 410 mm in the village of Izgrev and 225 mm in the town of Tsarevo, where a state of emergency was declared.

Eighteen teams totalling over 50 staff are working in Burgas Region, National Operations Centre Head Kaloyan Donchev of the Directorate General Fire Safety and Civil Protection said on Friday following a meeting of the operations center regarding deteriorating weather conditions.

The situation is most critical in Elenite, where heavy rainfall continues and conditions remain severe. Other affected areas include Montana Region and Pernik Region, where heavy snowfall has led to road closures. Fallen trees caused by the weight of snow are the main problem there, and teams are working to remove them, Donchev said.

Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh stressed that three Polish tourists were rescued and evacuated from Elenite. He believes there is no danger to either Bulgarian or foreign tourists in the Black Sea resorts.

Deadly flood in Elenite; authorities to look into role of hotels built on land that used to be dry channels

A man died in the Elenite resort village after a heavy rainfall hit Burgas Region in Southeastern Bulgaria. Fire department employees found the body in the underground rooms of the victim's building. Interior Minister Daniel Mitov told the press later in the day that there were two more victims, both of them rescuers - a Border Police officer and a driver of a land excavator, who was washed away by flood water.

Mitov explained that earth and tree debris had slid down from the mountain and reached the beach at the Elenite village, sweeping several cars into the sea. He said that no people were unaccounted for, adding that a family in distress in the Elenite area had been rescued after their car was caught in the flooding. 

He noted that all available teams - including firefighters, units from the Interior Ministry and the Defence Ministry, volunteers, municipal workers, the Burgas Regional Administration, and the Border Police - remain on the ground in Elenite. 

According to weather station data cited by Environment and Water Minister Manol Genov, the rainfall in Elenite was 200 to 250 litres per square metre.

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said two Bulgarian Navy boats with rescue teams were sent to Elenite at the request of local authorities, with more flood response units on standby. “We are monitoring the situation and, if the Ministry of Interior requests, we are ready to deploy additional forces,” Zapryanov added.

The Environment Minister said he has ordered the Black Sea Basin Directorate to conduct an urgent probe into whether construction projects have been allowed and implemented in the Elenite coastal resort on what used to be dry channels taking flood water during heavy rainfall. He said, though, that, technically speaking, there is no river here but only dry channels and a large amount of rain dumped on Elenite in a very short time.

Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov said that as early as Friday, officials of the National Construction Control Directorate will be sent to Elenite to determine whether there are any violations in construction or deviations from the approved general development plans of the municipalities.

Road Infrastructure Agency and Water and Sewerage Holding teams will review damaged infrastructure, while the Directorate for National Construction Control will check compliance with building standards. Findings are due by October 7.

Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh has also ordered an investigation into how construction permits for hotels in the resort areas were issued, and whether any of these constructions could in any way have contributed to such a disaster.

Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said that power supply was turned off in the areas affected by floods along the Black Sea coast, in order to avoid power surges,

He said the heavy rain led to the flooding of one of the substations of the electricity system operator but it was promptly drained.

In areas where the water volume has been greater and infrastructure has been damaged, inspections will be carried out by the electricity system operator and the relevant electricity distribution company, after which restoration of power supply will begin.

Director of the General Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection Alexander Dzhartov told reporters here on Friday that first responders were forced to act in extremely harsh conditions yet again. He stated: "You can see that the climate is changing. We are moving seamlessly from the season of severe fires to the season of floods. That is why we need to start thinking more about prevention, because it is key."

“Serious situation” on Hemus Motorway and western parts

Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov said that the situation on Hemus Motorway remains serious due to the bad weather. He assessed the performance of road maintenance companies as "not good enough, if not poor". The maximum penalties will be imposed on them, including the state-owned Avtomagistrali EAD.

In the western of the country, a heavy snowfall continued for a second day in the Balkan Range. Villages in Northwestern and in Southwestern Bulgaria suffered power outages caused by the wet snow, regional authorities told BTA. Over 30 snowploughs were dispatched to clean roads from the snow, with five of them working in the Petrohan Pass, which is the shortest route connecting the northwestern regions of Montana and Vidin to Sofia. The pass was closed for traffic all through Thursday night and Friday morning. The ongoing snowfall means more tree branches and whole trees snapping under the weight of snow and falling on the road, causing further disturbances.

The Bulgarian State Railways also reported significant train delays and cancellations caused by fallen trees damaging overhead power lines. Key routes affected by the extreme weather include Vidin–Sofia, Razgrad–Samuil, and Vratsa–Pleven, with delays of up to 205 minutes are reported.

Residents of Sofia also experienced the first snow of 2025, as the rain had turned into a short snowfall there. Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev activated the BG-ALERT system in the capital due to the situation in the Vitosha Nature Park where heavy rain and snow were expected to cause a treefall event. The Mayor pointed out that many trees fell on Vitosha, but no one was hurt. "Nothing surprised us, there were no problems with flooding, unlike other cities. Very quick response, precisely because we have prepared for such an event," Terziev pointed out.

This entire meteorological situation in Bulgaria is due to a Mediterranean cyclone that passes south of this country, and cold air penetrates from the north. It meets a warm and humid air mass, and such a precipitation situation occurs throughout the country, Ralena Dimitrova, a weather forecaster on duty at the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, told BTA.