Bulgaria Trapped in Winter: Passenger Bus Stuck for Hours in Montana District

Bulgaria remains trapped in severe winter weather, with road conditions across the country continuing to be challenging due to heavy snowfall. Over 1,000 snow-clearing vehicles worked overnight to treat road surfaces, the Road Infrastructure Agency said on February 2. In the capital, 118 machines operated overnight, and currently more than 90 snowploughs are clearing snow across all 24 districts of Sofia, according to Sofia Municipality.

In Smolyan district, snow chains are mandatory for all vehicles on the Pamporovo and Prevala passes. Heavy goods vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers are banned from using the Prevala, Rozhen, and Pechinsko passes, as well as the Devin–Mihalkovo and Batak–Dospat roads. A total of 53 machines worked overnight to clear national roads, which remain passable under winter conditions. No settlements have been cut off, and there are no reports of people in distress.

Around midnight, a lorry skidded and struck a crash barrier on Sofia’s ring road in the Lyulin district. No injuries were reported, but traffic from the Struma motorway towards the Europe motorway was blocked.

Road conditions are also difficult in north-western Bulgaria. Traffic on the E-79 road between Vidin and Montana was blocked at several points due to accidents and lorries running off the road. A passenger bus carrying 10 people, travelling from Montana to Belogradchik, was also trapped throughout the night. According to one of the passengers, at around 4:00 a.m. the bus driver managed to use an alternative route and exit the road blockade.