Situation in Bulgaria after heavy snowfall normalising, still serious in northern part of country
The situation in Bulgaria after the heavy snowfalls and rain of the past weekend was gradually normalising on January 19, but remained serious in northern Bulgaria where there were still villages without electricity and water supply.
In the region of Shoumen, emergency teams were clearing snowdrifts.
In the Dobrich region, traffic restrictions were in force on some roads. Most schools in the region remained closed on January 19.
Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency said that it was expected that by noon the traffic situation on the entire national road network would be normalised.
With temperatures of minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Celsius expected in several parts of the country, third-class roads were being treated with sand and higher-class roads with salt and calcium chloride to prevent the formation of black ice, according to the agency’s Georgi Zlatev, director of maintenance of road infrastructure.
Energy distribution company EVN said in a January 19 statement that the power supply situation in south-eastern Bulgaria had been normalised. By 9am on January 19, only a few villages or hamlets had power supply problems and the company was working to restore electricity, EVN said.
