In the early hours of February 8, an abandoned camper was discovered in a forested area above the town of Vratsa. According to unofficial information, three bodies were found inside the vehicle. The signal was submitted by a shepherd who was moving through the area near Mount Vola. In a difficult-to-access part of the forest, he noticed the camper and saw a man slumped in the driver’s seat, whom he believed to be dead. Because there was no mobile phone coverage, contacting the emergency number took some time.

Following the report, the Vratsa Balkan area was immediately sealed off and police teams were dispatched to the scene. Access roads were fully blocked, with no movement allowed, and identity checks were carried out on people passing nearby. An emergency medical team was also sent to the location. The operation is being coordinated personally by the director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Vratsa, Senior Commissioner Krasimir Yonchev. Authorities in Sofia were informed as well, and a team of forensic experts from the capital was expected to arrive. Until then, the camper was not opened, as investigators needed to establish the identities of those inside and determine whether more people were present.

Initial working assumptions pointed to a link between the discovered camper and the so called “Petrohan” case, connected to the disappearance of Ivaylo Kalushev. The area is known for its numerous caves, and Kalushev was described as an experienced speleologist, suggesting he was familiar with the terrain and may have visited it before. After leaving the so called “lodge of horrors”, investigators believe he may have headed toward this part of the Vratsa Balkan, according to reports.

Further reading: Bulgaria: The Petrohan Triple Homicide Leaves More Questions Than Answers

Later information indicated that the missing Ivaylo Kalushev, along with Nikolay Zlatkov and a 15 year old boy named Alex, were found in the area of Mount Okolchitsa above Vratsa. The three were discovered inside Kalushev’s camper. The signal again came from a shepherd who happened to pass by the site and noticed a person apparently lifeless at the wheel. Police secured the entire area, blocked access roads and launched a large scale operation, with emergency services also present.

Unofficial reports stated that Kalushev was wanted in connection with the triple murder in the Petrohan lodge, where the bodies of Ivaylo Ivanov, Decho Vassilev and Plamen Stattev were previously found. The three men had been living in the lodge and were each shot in the head. The camper, owned by Kalushev, was parked on a dirt road branching off the route to Okolchitsa Peak. After police from Vratsa arrived, a team from Sofia joined the operation, during which two additional bodies were discovered inside the vehicle.

At this stage, the Ministry of Interior has not officially confirmed whether the findings near Vratsa are directly linked to the investigation into the earlier Petrohan murders. It is expected that law enforcement authorities will release more detailed information later. Clarifying the identities of the deceased and the exact causes and circumstances of their deaths is seen as crucial for fully unraveling the Petrohan case.