The search for 13-year-old Nikolay Iliev, who disappeared from the village of Konare near Stara Zagora, continued early this morning. The boy, who has Down syndrome and epilepsy, was last seen around 1:00 p.m. yesterday near his home. The search perimeter has been expanded by an additional two kilometers as significant time has passed since his disappearance.

Numerous volunteers, police teams, firefighters, and forest officials have joined the search efforts. Drones and thermal cameras are being utilized, while detailed maps of the area have been distributed to search groups, led by employees of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Despite these efforts, no traces of the boy have been found so far.

The boy’s mother, Denka Ilieva, shared her account of the incident, explaining that Nikolay vanished suddenly while she stepped away to get water. “I ran to look for him in the center, by the dams, and into the forest, but he’s nowhere to be found,” she said. Ilieva confirmed that the family’s dog is also missing, and it is believed the boy may be with the animal, as its leash and chain were left behind.

Nikolay is hyperactive but approachable, his mother added, noting that he often greets people warmly. The child is thin, with dark hair, and was last seen wearing a dark jacket, sweatshirt, dark pants, and slippers. He responds to the names “Niki” or “Kiki” and may try to engage with those he encounters.

The mayor of Gurkovo Municipality, Kancho Papazov, has appealed for more volunteers to join the operation and expressed gratitude to those who searched until the early hours of the morning. He remains hopeful that today’s expanded efforts will yield positive results.

The boy’s favorite places and other areas he frequently visited have been searched multiple times, including local water bodies, as children with conditions like his are often drawn to water. Wells in the area have also been examined, but no new information has emerged.

Stancho Stefanov, the mayor of Konare, mentioned that Nikolay often accompanied his parents to the nearby dam and added that the terrain in the region is rugged, with forests and a Balkan range making the search challenging. Security camera footage from the village has been reviewed, but no images of the boy have been captured.

The community continues to rally in support of the search, and officials are urging anyone with information to come forward. “Please call me if you’ve seen him,” Ilieva pleaded on national television, providing her phone number in hopes of any leads: +359 893 25 79

Sources:

• Bulgarian National Television (BNT)
• Club Z