Two houses in the northern Bulgarian town of Svishtov were destroyed by a landslide triggered after more than 50 hours of continuous rainfall, Mayor Gencho Genchev confirmed. One of the buildings now hangs precariously above a slope, while the other collapsed during the evacuation of its occupant.

The incident occurred early Wednesday in the Ribarska Cheshma area, where the saturated ground gave way, sending tons of earth and concrete foundations downhill. “There is a huge mass of soil pouring down, along with the base of the structure, the house is literally left suspended in the air,” Mayor Genchev told local media. The first alarm was received around 6:30 a.m. from Emanuil Chakarov Street after residents heard a loud rumble.

Authorities immediately began evacuating people from nearby homes. A 60-year-old woman and a family of five were safely relocated to municipal housing. During the woman’s evacuation, one of the walls of her home collapsed, leaving the structure completely destroyed. The mayor explained that both affected properties were old and structurally weakened, with their foundations likely compromised by heavy rainfall exceeding 70 liters per square meter over the past two days. Power to the area has been cut off as a safety precaution.

Municipal services and emergency teams have been mobilized, and all relevant institutions have been alerted. Flooding has also been reported in garages and several private properties across Svishtov, but no injuries have occurred. The road to the nearby village of Oresh was cleared of rock debris this morning, though clean-up operations continue in other affected sections.

According to the local Hydro-Meteorological Station, 4.6 liters of rain per square meter fell in the last 24 hours, including 51 liters within just 12 hours , close to the area’s monthly average of 60 to 80 liters. Residents have warned on social media that an additional 40 liters per square meter of rainfall is forecast.

The persistent downpours have also activated landslides elsewhere in Bulgaria. In the Asenovgrad municipality, part of the road to the village of Kosovo was damaged, leading to a ban on heavy goods vehicles over three tons. On road III-8604 between Kosovo and Studenets, traffic is limited to one lane after part of the shoulder gave way, undermining the road to a depth of about one meter over a 20-meter stretch.

Meanwhile, rockfalls temporarily blocked the Veliko Tarnovo–Gorna Oryahovitsa road via Arbanasi, though the section near the “St. 40 Sedmochislenitsi” church has since been cleared and reopened. Police have urged drivers to travel cautiously due to the wet and unstable road conditions.

A separate landslide has also been reported near Shipka Pass, several kilometers from Gabrovo, following heavy overnight rainfall. In response to the worsening weather, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology has issued a red code warning for seven regions , Silistra, Razgrad, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Pleven, Lovech, and Gabrovo , indicating extreme danger of flooding and landslides. An orange code is in effect for Vratsa, Targovishte, and Dobrich, while Montana, Varna, and Shumen remain under a yellow code alert.