Twelve villages in the Smolyan region remain without electricity due to heavy snowfall, according to Deputy Regional Governor Adrian Petrov. The outages were caused by fallen trees, which collapsed onto power lines under the weight of snow. Electricity distribution teams have been working for a second consecutive day to address the damage and restore power to the affected areas. Officials anticipate the situation will be resolved later today.

The power outages have also impacted villages with hotels and guest houses, many of which already have holiday tourists. Despite these challenges, the roads in the Smolyan region are reported to be passable under winter conditions. Authorities advise travelers heading to the region to drive cautiously and ensure their vehicles are equipped with winter tires to avoid accidents.

Meanwhile, in Sofia, overnight anti-icing operations were conducted on streets and boulevards to maintain safe driving conditions. Crews treated roads in districts such as Sredets, Vitosha, Vrabnitsa, Kremikovtsi, Pancharevo, and Bankya. Focus areas included public transport routes, main streets, steep sections, bridges, and the Southern Arc of the Sofia Ring Road.

In Vitosha Nature Park, two mountain roads were treated with anti-icing mixtures: Boyana Quarter to Golden Bridges and Dragalevtsi Quarter to Aleko Chalet. The Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) is urging drivers across the region to use properly equipped vehicles and drive at appropriate speeds to ensure safety.

Sources:

• Bulgarian National Television (BNT)
• Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)