Flooding crisis management team: Situation is most complicated in Western Bulgaria

The crisis management team for protection from floodings is considering evacuation of residents from Novi Iskar, Western Bulgaria; it emerged after a meeting in the Ministry of Interior on January 11.

No one is stranded at the moment. At 4 dams there is a controlled release of water through the spillways and there is no risk for nearby settlements, the Minister of Interior, Hristo Terziiski said.

If necessary, there is readiness for evacuation of people from one of Sofia’s residential areas, Novi Iskar, because one of the rivers is overflowing and may flood houses.

There are power outages in more than 100 residential areas in the districts of Vratsa, Montana and Sofia. Railway infrastructure in the Western and Southwestern pats of Sofia has been affected causing difficulties for the movement of passenger trains.

The situation is most complicated in Western and Northwestern Bulgaria after the torrential rains across the country, chief commissioner Nikolai Nikolov, the head of the fire fighting service said.

The level of Blato river near Novi Iskar and the village of Mirovyane in Sofia district has risen. It became necessary to build dikes. Partial evacuation is being considered, he added. For the time being, there is not immediate danger for the residents, but teams of the police of Sofia municipality are ready to help.

The levels of the Konska and Struma rivers have increased after the controlled release of flow from Studena dam and therefore partial state of emergency was declared in Pernik, Batanovtsi, Radomir and Strumyantsi munciplaity.

In Strumyantsi municipality, the situation poses a risk to Bulgaria-Greece gas pipeline. Everything possible is being done to protect the pipeline. According to the most recent assessment, the measures undertaken are satisfactory and the pipeline is protected.

Several houses in the town of Radomir were flooded. The pumping station for drinking water has been affected. Residents will remain without water for 2-3 days during the repair works.

Several houses in Batanovtsi have been flooded after the Konska river overflowed.

The overall assessment of the crisis management team is that all dams on the territory of the country are under control.

Controlled release of water is taking place in three or four dams through the spillway, the head of the fire fighting service, Nikolai Nikolov, said.

No dam in the country poses immediate risk to the health and life of the people.

Dikes, including from sand, are being built at places.