Floods at Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea coast: Police urge motorists not to travel to Sozopol, Primorsko and Tsarevo
Police in Bourgas have urged motorists not to attempt to travel to the southern Black Sea towns of Sozopol, Primorsko and Tsarevo after heavy rains inundated sections of the road from Bourgas to Tsarevo.
The road south of the Sozopol village of Atia was closed because of flooding, news agency BTA quoted a Bourgas police spokesperson as saying on July 16.
Roads in the area of Ravadinovo and the Peychova bridge were obstructed by floodwaters, as were roads close to the Kavatsite and Dyuni holiday village and campsites. News footage showed bungalows at the Smokini website south of Sozopol surrounded by floodwater.
Teams were working to drain areas and to clear away fallen trees and branches from roads, local authorities said.
Earlier, a state of emergency was declared in the Primorsko municipality after heavy rainfall overnight that flooded parts of residential buildings and hotels.
The situation in three Primorsko villages – Rossen, Yasna Polyana and Vesselie – was reported to be the most serious in terms of flooded buildings. Authorities warned that water in these areas was unfit for drinking.
No injuries have been reported.
Separate reports said that in Primorsko, 20 small fishing boats had been sunk, a disaster for fishermen who said that damage on this scale had not been seen for the past 50 years.
The mayor of the village of Kiten, Atanas Petrov, said that unlike neighbouring Primorsko, there was no serious damage in the area.
(Archive photo of Primorsko: Evgeni Dinev)