Big Win for Bulgaria and Romania as Austria Lifts Schengen Veto!
Austria has officially announced that it is lifting its veto on Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area by land
Efforts to battle the three major forest fires in Southwestern Bulgaria, which intensified yesterday, are ongoing. Most resources today will be concentrated on containing the blaze in Pirin above the village of Senokos, where flight equipment will also be deployed.
The situation is particularly dire in the Pirin Mountains, where a fire erupted in one of the hamlets of Senokos late yesterday afternoon. Four houses were destroyed, and three people were evacuated. The fire is believed to have originated from the yard of one of the homes and rapidly spread to the forested area, reaching the critical state of another hamlet, Dyakovska, within two hours. Residents from this area have also been evacuated.
Despite helicopters and planes being redirected from Maleshevska Planina to Pirin last evening, the fire disaster could not be halted. Today, additional forces, including two Swedish planes and a helicopter, will focus on Pirin. In Maleshevska Planina, the situation is currently under control, according to Emil Iliev, the mayor of the Strumyani municipality. He refuted claims that the fire, which reactivated last night, had spread to the homes of Tsaparevo village, confirming that all residents had been evacuated.
Throughout the night, fire crews were on the ground and were replaced this morning with fresh forces, including numerous volunteers. The fire in Slavyanka Mountain has expanded into Bulgarian territory, with a pine forest burning in the Alibotush bioreserve. However, there is no immediate threat to the nearby village of Goleshovo.
The fire at the landfill near Tsalapitsa, which ignited yesterday afternoon, is still being fought. Heavy machinery has been brought in to begin "soiling" the area, as announced by Chief Inspector Dimitar Brishimov from the fire department in Plovdiv. The lack of wind and an inversion have caused smoke from the landfill to drift low towards surrounding settlements, with the odor noticeable even in the center of Plovdiv. Authorities have assured that there is no dangerous increase in harmful substances.
A slight increase in air quality parameters was noted over Stamboliyski, where the smoke had drifted, but these levels do not exceed the norm and pose no health risk to the population.
The Petrohan Pass remains fully closed to traffic due to numerous fallen trees obstructing the road
A tragic incident occurred when a 29-year-old woman from Sandanski gave birth in an ambulance while being transported to a hospital in Petric
The body of a 21-year-old man was discovered in the Ogosta River, prompting an investigation by the Vratsa police
A car collided with a tram in Sofia on the evening of November 26, causing the tram to derail
Bulgarian police detained a group of illegal migrants following a high-speed chase on Sofia’s ring road
A tragic incident occurred at a school in Sofia where an 11-year-old girl passed away
Bulgaria Ranks Second in the Balkans at Paris 2024 Olympics, 26th Overall
Bulgaria Leads Europe in Heat-Related Deaths in Record-Breaking 2023