Village of Bodgan cut off by floods, people in distress, no reports of dead or injured

There are no dead and injured people in the flooding in the villages of Bogdan and Karavelovo (central Bulgaria). Such alerts are received, but they are not confirmed at the moment, Commissioner Nikolai Nikolov, Director of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection, told BNT on September 2.

He said that the situation in the villages Bogdan and Karavelovo continues to be severe. The good news is that the water level in the village of Bogdan has dropped by almost a metre.

There are people in distress - it is three people in Rybarnitsi near the village of Moskovets. They were given instructions to go up to the high floors of the houses to wait for the rescuers. We are doing everything possible to help, said Commissioner Nikolov.

The village of Bogdan in Karlovo region is cut off from the world because of the heavy floods and heavy rains that started this morning. The situation is also difficult in the neighbouring village of Karavelovo.

Emergency teams, the commander of the military 61st Stryamska brigade, the mayor of the municipality of Karlovo, Emil Kabaivanov, and the director of DG "Fire Safety" commissioner Nikolay Nikolov are at the scene.

The two bridges on Bogdan are inaccessible - one is under water, the other is completely washed away by the incoming water.

Weather permitting, a helicopter will fly out to evacuate 5-6 people, including a pregnant woman. Hundreds of people - volunteers, firefighters, military, police, rescuers - are working on site to help those affected by the flooding. Everything possible has been mobilised to assist the people, said Commissioner Nikolov.

He said the floods were caused by the heavy rains. He explained that last night the precipitation in Klisura was 191 litres per square metre. Around noon, a powerful cumulonimbus clouds over Mount Bogdan brought further rain.

"Everything in the mountains in the Sredna Gora up to Mount Bogdan is destroyed. This was one of our backup routes to go around via Belokamene, Srednogorets hut, to go to Bogdan, but it's hell up there - there are no roads. These are part of the sloping waters that come from Skaladere," said Commissioner Nikolov.

Because of the destroyed bridges, pontoon bridges are currently being prepared together with the military. The pontoon bridges will be used to evacuate the people, as well as the BNT, BNR teams that are also in the village of Bogdan. Dozens of boats are headed to the site, but they cannot be used immediately due to high waters, Commissioner Nikolov said.

He also added that they keep in touch with the mayors, and the mayor of the municipality Kabaivanov is in Bogdan, along with the head of the fire fighting department.