Sofia - Torrential rains over Bulgaria in the last 24 hours have caused flooding and damage to property and roads in the southern part of the country.

The municipalities of Pazardzhik and Plovdiv were hit hardest by the rains and declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.

Almost all of the 180 houses in the municipality's Gelemenovo village were flooded, and rescuers had to evacuate elderly residents. Other villages in the region were also flooded.

Bulgaria's second largest city, Plovdiv, suffered serious damages.

"All night and at the moment, over 15 rescuing teams have been draining the underpasses of the Central Rail Station, where water levels reached 1.5 meters. Some of the big boulevards and crossroads in the city are impassable," Plovdiv-based journalist Ekaterina Terzieva told Balkan Insight.

A section of the international highway Trakia, which links Sofia to Istanbul, was closed down for traffic temporarily due to flooding.


The situation in Pazardzhik is still dire, as there is a danger of some water dam walls breaking and causing more floods. Meteorologists are forecasting more rainfall in the region.

Emergency teams from other regions were sent to the two municipalities to provide assistance. The National Assembly's head, Georgi Pirinski, plans to visit the region later today.

The situation in the rest of the country has been relatively calm and is being monitored, the Emergency Ministry reported.

The floods came weeks after serious droughts caused significant damage to grain growers. Growers are demanding that the state compensate them for their losses due to the May droughts and the current floods.

Източник - http://www.birn.eu.com/