Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Byala Slatina in the whirlpool of flood waters

БНР Новини
9
Photo: Veneta Nikolova

Despair, wrath and grief – this is the mood pending over the flood stricken town of Byala Slatina, northwestern Bulgaria. In the sunny Friday afternoon of August 1, a wave of water came as if out of the blue, took the town by surprise and in less than half an hour swallowed streets, houses and shops. . . Electricity was cut. The Skat River, otherwise calm tributary of the Danube, went practically crazy, bringing harm all over the place.

Снимка

During the night preceding the flood, Byala Slatina was soaked by 86 liters per square meter of rain. This is 1.5 times more than the usual amount of rainfalls for July. However, no one expected the Niagara-like wall of water would cause a disaster. The tide swept the town unexpectedly, reaching 1.80 meters at some points, covering the bus terminal, the streets, the bridge over the river itself and basements, sucking in furniture and household devices and tossing cars around like matchboxes. People were escaping the tide anyway they could. Some managed to sneak out of their cars’ windows or climbed on the roods of their houses, expecting help. Others were drawn into the muddy waters of the raging Skat River and only just swam to firm ground.

Снимка

“The tide hit me from behind while I was unloading goods for my shop, and washed me two meters away”, tells a petrified saleswoman from a local grocery. By Friday night about 250 people were evacuated with heavy machinery and boats. Their property, however, sunk underwater. Similar to other places in Northwest Bulgaria, Byala Slatina was cut off the world. By noon the next day the water had hardly withdrawn. A rumor run around that a second tide wave was coming. “In the flooded areas bandits are said to be pillaging the houses. Who is to protect my property?” a young woman, a child in her hands, was crying, trying to break the police line and reach her house. People were angry, accusing local authorities of inaction and incompetence.

Снимка

No one knew where the monstrous mass of water came from. “Shame on them, they are letting out dams without warning!” people were shouting angrily. Others, wasting no time, rushed to help around. While the servicemen of the civil defense were touring the river-like streets, some people remained on the roofs of the homes. Byala Slatina remained isolated on Sunday, too.  “And what about the inhabitants of the town of Mizia, which is only 30 kilometers away! There the tide has covered one third of the town! Poor people!” a woman, owner of a flooded motel was exclaiming compassionately.

Снимка

Today, however, access to Byala Slatina is open. Water is gradually withdrawing. Electricity and drinking water supplies are resumed, just like hopes that such evil would never strike the inhabitants of the poorest region in the EU again. Now people are expecting solidarity and cooperation on the part of local authorities and EU institutions. This is the only way they would be able to swim out of this nightmare of a water trap. While weather forecasts for the current week predict more and more rains. . .

Photos: Veneta Nikolova


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Boryana Murgina: Bulgarian children in Sunday schools abroad also need the help of speech therapists

People are part of a society and it would be difficult to live without communication. Therefore, caring for a good communication with other people begins at an early age, when we learn to speak. Everything starts in the family but the..

published on 3/28/24 4:36 PM

At Sofia Airport before Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen by air and sea

On March 31, Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area by air and sea. Austria remains the last stumbling block stopping the two countries in their pursuit of full membership in the European area of free movement without border controls at internal..

published on 3/28/24 1:58 PM

Conference on cardiovascular health in the EU to be held in Sofia

The European Commission Representation in Sofia will today host a conference on "Cardiovascular Health in Europe: Challenges and Prospects".  The event will be attended by the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya..

published on 3/28/24 7:25 AM