A sleepless night in the village of Gelemenovo, after the Telki Dere River suddenly overflowed the protective dam and flooded streets, properties and agricultural lands, reports bTV.
In minutes, the water came and overflowed the lowest part of the dam.
A total of 5 houses were flooded - yards, ground floors and cellars. The water that overflowed the dam partially resolved it, but the dam was strengthened with inert materials and stones.
„Within 40 minutes, the level of the ravine rose by nearly 2 meters. It is a huge water catchment area here, in several villages. And it's just that the heavy rains since yesterday have led to a sharp rise in the level of the ravine," commented Petar Kulenski, mayor of the Pazardzhik municipality.
The water is flooding three nearby properties and flooding houses.
Nikolay Yordanov is trying to save his house. He only gets a break late at night.
„We've been there for a while now, where the riverbed passes, with shovels, with picks, with pitchforks - just so that the river can stay in its bed," he says.
His house is not even 50 meters away.
„The water gradually started to invade and came out of the bed. And you can see what's happening. These are the facts," added Yordanov.
„The situation looks serious, yes. I think that the water level is decreasing, as the ravine is widening and deepening“, commented Valentina Kaytazova, regional governor of Pazardzhik.
„...Heavy equipment brought in rock mass to strengthen the dam. And separately, crawler excavators are digging the mouth of Telki Dere with Elshishka River – so that the conductivity of the ravine can be increased“, pointed out Petar Kulenski, mayor of Pazardzhik municipality.
The heavy equipment manages to strengthen the dam and the water is draining.