Bulgaria cancels April civil defence siren test, to avoid possible panic
Bulgaria has cancelled a test of civil defence sirens that had been scheduled for April 1 2022 because of concerns that it may cause panic among the public because of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Ordinarily, Bulgaria tests its civil defence siren system in several major cities, towns and settlements at the beginning of April and the beginning of October.
These tests, consisting of sirens and voice announcements, are customarily announced by the Interior Ministry a few days in advance.
The proposal to cancel this year’s test was put forward by the fire safety and civil defence directorate.
Directorate spokesperson Valentin Krustev told local media that the cancellation was intended to ensure peace of mind both for the Bulgarian public and the large numbers of Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria.
In recent years, the siren test has been cancelled once before. The April 2020 test was cancelled amid public worries sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Photo: Interior Ministry press centre)
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