Balgarianovinite.com A state of emergency has been declared in several municipalities across the Veliko Tarnovo Region, Gabrovo Region and Lovech Region following intense overnight rainfall and the subsequent overflowing of rivers and reservoirs. No fatalities have been reported so far, but homes and yards have been flooded, roads closed, and evacuations carried out in some settlements.
According to the forecast of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, rainfall is expected to continue through most of Saturday night in western and central parts of Northern Bulgaria, the Upper Thracian Plain and southeastern regions. Rain is forecast to weaken temporarily by Sunday morning and stop in most areas.
Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said there was no information about casualties following the flooding in the Veliko Tarnovo and Gabrovo regions. He stressed that evacuations were being carried out as a preventive measure. According to Demerdzhiev, authorities were doing everything possible to act proactively in order to avoid casualties. He added that emergency teams were working on site to assess the damage and begin recovery operations as quickly as possible. He also said that river levels were expected to begin receding, although the situation in both regions continued to be monitored closely.
Veliko Tarnovo Region
More than 70 litres of rain per square metre fell within just 40 minutes over Veliko Tarnovo and nearby settlements on Thursday evening, the regional administration said.
The Yantra River overflowed during the night, flooding numerous areas, homes and courtyards along its banks. A state of emergency was declared in the city and municipality. Earlier in the day, local authorities reported that the flood wave coming from Gabrovo and Dryanovo had begun to gradually recede.
Mayor Daniel Panov cancelled the city’s celebrations marking May 24, saying that dealing with the flooding and its aftermath had become the municipality’s top priority.
The Aleksandar Stamboliyski reservoir also began overflowing. Regional authorities warned that water discharge levels could gradually reach around 400 cubic metres per second — more than three times higher than during the previous overflow event.
Firefighters and rescue divers saved a 17-year-old boy who had entered the river in the village of Shemshevo.
States of emergency were also declared in Dolna Oryahovitsa, Parvomaytsi, and the villages of Dragizhevo and Dobri Dyal.
Deputy Mayor Georgi Nedev appealed for volunteers to assist with flood recovery efforts.
Gabrovo Region
A state of emergency was declared across the entire Gabrovo Region due to the flooding.
Authorities activated the BG-Alert emergency warning system shortly after midnight because of the torrential rainfall. A total of 52 litres of rain per square metre was recorded in Gabrovo on Thursday.
Flooding also prompted evacuations in the northern part of Sevlievo. Earlier in the day, officials said there had been no reports of injuries, while police and fire brigade teams continued working on drainage, securing affected areas and assisting households.
Lovech Region
The situation in the Lovech Region remains complicated following the heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours and the sharp rise in river levels, regional authorities said.
In Lovech, the pedestrian iron bridge and part of the Bash Bunar alley were closed. The level of the Osam River has risen significantly, prompting the construction of temporary flood barriers in two sections of the city.
The most serious problems continue to affect the municipalities of Apriltsi and Troyan. In the Troyan municipality, the villages of Cherni Osam and Oreshak were hit hardest.
In Oreshak, the Cherni Osam River overflowed, flooding a secondary road and several houses. Landslides and fallen trees also blocked the road between Oreshak and Cherni Osam.
All commemorative events in Apriltsi marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising were cancelled. President Iliana Iotova had been expected to attend the celebrations.
The Ministry of Defence announced that the army is ready to assist if necessary. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food said it was providing full support to farmers affected by the flooding. State forestry enterprises and their regional branches have also been mobilized to assist flood-hit agricultural and forest areas.
Environment and Water Minister Rositsa Karamfilova ordered ministry teams and the Danube River Basin Directorate to monitor the situation in real time and maintain constant coordination with local authorities.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health urged residents in affected areas to follow the instructions of local authorities and regional health inspectorates and to use water only from verified safe sources. The ministry added that once floodwaters recede and conditions normalize, regional health inspectorates will conduct water sampling and laboratory testing in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. State of Emergency Declared in Parts of Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Lovech Regions After Severe Flooding 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-23 16:12:01 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
