site.btaRegional Minister: Initial Findings from Inspections of Flooded Areas Expected on Monday

Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov told bTV on Sunday morning that the first results from inspections of the flood-affected areas will be available on Monday.

He stressed that the causes of the disaster in the Elenite resort complex, in Nesebar Municipality, must be identified at all costs. The Directorate for National Construction Control (DNCC) is part of the investigation, as construction oversight there falls under the municipality’s jurisdiction. Teams from the Road Infrastructure Agency and the state-owned Water Supply and Sewerage Holding have also been deployed to the site.

Minister Ivanov said that both he and Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov want to determine whether human factors played a role, specifically, whether there were construction deviations, illegally issued permits, or violations of existing regulations. “If the law has been broken, that happens with someone’s signature,” Ivanov noted.

He added that his ministry’s task is also to assess damage to public infrastructure. A second round of inspections is underway to verify the readiness of state institutions to respond to natural disasters. Ivanov emphasized that the storm was a result of climate change - a clear sign that the system must adapt to new environmental conditions.

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Environment and Water, there is no identified river in Elenite, though the area serves as a drainage basin. 

Addressing criticism that inspections occur only after disasters, the minister said he intends to make such reviews a continuous practice and suggested legislative amendments to strengthen DNCC’s authority.

Ivanov noted that this is not the first time similar checks have been carried out, and that every citizen report is investigated.

On compensation, he reminded that state aid is provided to citizens whose primary residences were damaged, while hotel and vacation property owners should rely on insurance coverage.

Commenting on the snow-related traffic disruptions along the Hemus Motorway on October 3, the minister said that he had instructed the Road Infrastructure Agency the previous evening to ensure road readiness, but poor execution led to penalties for maintenance firms, including withheld payments.

Currently, there are no impassable national roads, Ivanov said. All routes are cleared except for a few municipal roads, while power outages in tunnels along Hemus are being managed with generators.

The minister inspected the newly completed 10-kilometre section of the Hemus Motorway between the Boaza and Dermantsi interchanges, which opened to traffic at 8 a.m. The new stretch will speed up travel toward Pleven and bypass accident-prone zones. Another section is expected to open within a month, further easing traffic toward Varna.

“Construction can progress quickly when organization and funding are in place,” Ivanov said, adding that the ministry is working to revive numerous infrastructure projects that have been suspended in recent years.