site.btaFire Brigades, Police Respond to 70 Storm-Related Alerts

Caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov visited Shipka, Central Bulgaria, on Friday in connection with Thursday's storm which caused extensive damages across the region.

General Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection together with police officers, responded Thursday to about 70 alerts nationwide. They were mainly about flooded ground floors and yards, numerous damaged vehicles, fallen trees, and broken overhead power lines, said Minister Stoyanov.

The Natural Disasters and Accidents Committee is ready to help with funding for infrastructure, kindergartens, schools and chapels, noted Stoyanov. "For ordinary people there is also an option, but initially they will receive the one-off financial assistance from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and later they will be able to apply for assistance for the damaged roof structures", the Minister added.

Earlier on Friday, a partial state of disaster was declared for the towns of Shipka and Kazanlak and the villages of Sheynovo and Hadzhidimitrovo.