Bulgaria Awards Flood Rescue Heroes

The Bulgarian cabinet will award with BGN 5 000 three people, who took part in rescuing residents of the flooded southern village of Biser.

The news was reported Wednesday by the government's press office. Others will receive State orders and awards.

The cash will be bestowed to Atanas Atanasov, Atanas Georgiev, and Krasimir Kolev, who saved over 60 people, among them 18 elderly. The first two will also receive a "Merit" medal.

On addition, the Council of Ministers is proposing to the President to bestow the "Military Merit" order to the 6-member crew of the army helicopter which took part in the rescue effort, including one General.

The orders are given for their extreme professionalism, selflessness and sense of responsibility during the rescue effort, according to the announcement.

The chopper crew was sent to provide assistance to people in distress in the villages of Stoykovo and Biser. While risking their lives, the five servicemen and one civilian saved a father and a son, who spent several hours in the icy waters on top of their overturned car and one man working at a pump station in the town of Lyubimets.

Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov, had bestowed one day earlier 28 servicemen with a cash award in the amount of BGN 500 each for participation in the Biser rescue effort, Angelov, himself, had informed his colleagues.

Last week floods in southeastern Bulgaria took ten victims.

The worst tragedy happened after the waters of the Ivanovo dam bust its wall in the aftermath of heavy snow and flooded the nearby areas. The village of Biser was affected the most.

The cabinet declared Wednesday, February 8, a national day of mourning for the victims.