Bulgaria is launching a procedure to request financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund to help cover the damage caused by the recent heavy rainfall in the southeast of the country, including Burgas, Tsarevo and the resort village of Elenite, which suffered extensive flooding.

Interior Minister Daniel Mitov and Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov held a working meeting to coordinate the first steps for recovery and restoration efforts. Deputy Minister Yura Vitanova officially initiated the procedure under the EU Solidarity Fund for the South-East region, sending the necessary documentation to Brussels. Under the plan, the Interior Ministry will be responsible for compiling and summarizing the preliminary damage assessments and calculating the eligible costs, while the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works will prepare Bulgaria’s formal application for EU assistance.

The Solidarity Fund is the European Union’s main mechanism for supporting member states in the aftermath of natural disasters such as floods, storms, earthquakes, forest fires and droughts. It provides targeted financial assistance to help affected countries recover and restore essential infrastructure.

During the meeting, officials also discussed coordination between the Traffic Police and the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) to introduce temporary traffic arrangements and facilitate movement in sections where road repair works are ongoing due to the damage caused by the floods.

The Director of the Fire Safety and Population Protection Directorate, Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov, said that the situation across the country remains stable. “We currently have 30 incidents that our teams are responding to, eight of which involve clearing fallen trees and draining flooded areas,” he explained. Firefighter teams continue debris removal operations in the flooded Elenite resort and remain on high alert, with additional patrols scheduled in areas under a red weather warning. “All equipment is operational, and we have reinforced our duty teams to respond immediately if conditions worsen overnight,” Dzhartov added.

He confirmed that 51 settlements across Bulgaria remain without electricity due to the recent storms. In the municipality of Tran, however, the situation has begun to normalize. “All fallen trees blocking roads have been cleared, access to all settlements is restored, and the city’s water supply has been reestablished,” he said. No further evacuations are currently required, though local authorities remain ready to act if needed.

Meanwhile, the Director of the National Police Directorate, Chief Commissioner Zahari Vaskov, announced that access to the Elenite holiday reosrt remains completely restricted and will stay that way until at least Wednesday. “The entire area is secured by gendarmerie and police teams,” he stated, adding that the restriction will be reassessed by the Crisis Headquarters mid-week.

According to Vaskov, approximately 200 people have been evacuated from Elenite - around 100 have relocated to relatives or friends, while the others are being accommodated in hotels in St. Vlas and Nessebar. He urged citizens to follow the instructions of the Ministry of Interior and emergency services, stressing that these measures are taken entirely for their safety. “At this stage, the protection of life and health is the top priority,” he said.

Regarding the flood-hit region of Tsarevo, the municipality remains under alert for additional heavy rainfall. Local authorities and volunteers have been clearing debris left by Friday’s floods, especially in the lower part of the town near the bus station. Mayor Marin Kirov said that the newly built infrastructure, including the bridge to the Vasiliko district - destroyed in the 2023 floods - has withstood the latest deluge. However, peripheral infrastructure around the bridges has sustained damage.

“The critical issue is the Cherna River basin, which overflowed and flooded much of the city,” Kirov said. “Many businesses along the river have suffered serious losses. We are preparing an urgent project for a full correction of the riverbed. All riverbeds and ravines are currently being cleared to ensure the water can flow quickly into the sea if the forecasts for new rainfall materialize.”

Kirov also noted that after last year’s disaster, the municipality received financial support from the state only for bridge reconstruction, while applications for cleaning riverbeds and ravines in Ahtopol and Tsarevo were not approved. “We are cleaning what we can, but that’s not enough. Serious corrective work requires significant funding,” the mayor stressed.

He assured that the municipality is prepared to assist residents in need of evacuation and provide shelter for those without alternative accommodation as the region braces for another wave of potentially dangerous weather.