HEAVY SNOWFALL CUT POWER SUPPLY IN OVER 850 VILLAGES IN BULGARIA

The state of emergency declared due to the heavy snowfall on 7th of March will remain in place in the South Bulgarian regions of Smolyan and Kardzhali, as well the villages of Laki, Velingrad and Sarnitsa. According to information from the local mayors, there are no residents at risk.

This was announced by the outgoing minister of interior, Vesselin Vouchkov, at a briefing held by the Disaster and Crisis Management Staff on 9th of March.

Over 850 locations are still without electricity supply.

Food and medication are delivered to the most snowed in areas.

Approximately 2000 Ministry of interior employees are working to clear roads and get much needed access to the affected areas. Thousands of volunteers are involved to support their work.

The operational staff of the National Fire Service has ordered the territorial units to check for stranded people in mountain huts and if the roads to them are passable.

7 ambulances and 51 buses were pulled out of the snow over the recent 24 hours. 7 people on hemodialysis and 5 pregnant women have transported to hospitals.

The MoI teams assisted in dealing with 242 emergency situations in the recent hours.

Minister Vouchkov recommended that people in the areas most affected by the heavy snowfall should avoid unnecessary travel. Skiers and snowboarders are cautioned to avoid places with risk of avalanches.