The Regional governor of Vidin convened the Headquarters for implementation of the regional disaster protection plan and for interaction with the national and municipal headquarters

03.10.2025

The current situation in the region was discussed in view of the ongoing snowfall in the region of the municipalities of Belogradchik and Chuprene

The Regional governor Ani Arutyunyan urgently convened the Headquarters for implementation of the regional disaster protection plan and for interaction with the national and municipal headquarters in connection with the complicated situation as a result of the heavy fall of rain and snow. The members of the Headquarters reported on the current situation in the region and on the actions taken to deal with the situation.

Settlements in the municipalities of Belogradchik and Chuprene are without electricity. Over the past 24 hours, the snow cover in some settlements of Chuprene municipality has reached almost 25 cm.

According to data from ERM - West, 6 power lines have broken down in the Belogradchik and Chuprene regions as a result of the snowfall, and the company's emergency teams are working on the ground. It is expected that the breakdowns will be repaired by the end of today and that power supply will be restored in both municipalities. Emergency teams are encountering difficulties in sections with impassable or difficult-to-pass roads, which is leading to delays in repairing the damage.

There were also damages in two other power lines supplying the municipalities of Vidin, Kula and Gramada, but the breakdowns have been repaired.

The director of the Regional road management - Vidin reported that 6 snow blowers and one specialized cleaning machine (mulcher) are working in the municipalities of Belogradchik and Chuprene. Fallen trees and branches are being cleared.

The Petrohan pass has been closed to traffic in both directions for 24 hours, leading to traffic jams of cars and trucks on the Montana-Vidin route.

Teams of the Automobile inspectorate are ready, if necessary, to intervene and assist in normalizing traffic on the E-79 in the direction of Vidin and Danube bridge 2, it became clear during the meeting.

The Director of the Regional Directorate "Fire safety and population protection" in Vidin, commissioner Stiliyan Peshev, announced that by noon the Directorate's teams had responded to 3 reports of fallen trees in populated areas, one report of a flooded cafeteria in the school in the town of Bregovo and a flooded basement in a private property in the village of Gradets, Vidin municipality. All reports have been processed and no new reports have been received. At the moment, there is no danger of flooding and there are no people in distress.

Commissioner Peshev specified that he has ordered information about the situation in the region to be provided three times a day, and in case of incidents, to be reported and responded to immediately. The measures are being taken in connection with the information of the National institute of meteorology and hydrology, which has issued warnings about possible flash floods in several rivers, including those in the Vidin and Montana regions.

During the meeting, the possibility of stopping heavy goods traffic in the direction of the entrance from Danube bridge 2 to the Republic of Bulgaria was also discussed, in view of the information received about the complicated situation in the Montana and Vratsa regions.

After talks between the Regional governor Ani Arutyunyan and the leadership of the Ministry of interior, it was clarified that at the moment there is no need to stop heavy goods traffic.

Arutyunyan specified, that the members of the Headquarters for the implementation of the regional disaster protection plan and for interaction with the national and municipal headquarters remain in full readiness to react and make urgent decisions if the situation in the territory of the region becomes complicated.

The Regional governor calls for travel to the municipalities of Belogradchik and Chuprene to be carried out with increased caution, given the ongoing snowfall and road clearing activities.