4 killed in floods in Bulgaria's Black Sea region (UPDATE)

Reuters
Tue, 05 Sep 2023 08:41 UTC

Two people were killed in floods caused by torrential rain in the municipality of Tsarevo in Bulgaria's Black Sea region, a local official told BTV television on Tuesday.

"The situation is very serious. We have confirmation of two deaths," Tsarevo Mayor Georgi Lapchev told BTV television.

A state of emergency has been declared and media reported that 60 people have been evacuated.

Images showed camping trailers and cars in the sea after being washed away by swollen rivers. Bungalows and hotels along the Black Sea coast were flooded.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov will hold a press conference later on Tuesday to give an update on the flood damage.

Comment: Update September 7

Reuters reports:

Two bodies more were recovered in Bulgaria's Black Sea coastal area on Wednesday, bringing to four the death toll from floods triggered by torrential rains, Bulgarian News Agency BTA reported.

The bodies of a local judge, her daughter -- a veterinarian --, and a man were found in a submerged car that was washed away from a bridge into the sea when the river overflowed, regional police chief Emil Pavlov told journalists in Tsarevo.

The fourth victim was a man who was also swept away as he was attempting to cross the same bridge on foot, Pavlov said.

It was not immediately clear whose bodies were recovered on Wednesday.

A state of emergency was declared in Tsarevo municipality on Tuesday.

At a nearby Black Sea tourist resort on Arapya beach, cars and caravans were washed away by torrential rain and strong winds.

"For about 20 hours, it was pouring rain with a headwind, non stop - that was the reason why the river overflowed and caused all this damage. It swept cars and car trailers into the sea," local resident Doctor Plamen Petrov told Reuters TV.