A father and son from Krumovgrad were rescued late this evening after being stranded for hours by the rising waters of the Arda River in the area of the Stambolovo village of Dolno Cherkovishte, Nova TV reports.
The two are workers in a quarry for aggregate materials and entered the riverbed with heavy equipment. As a result of the intense rainfall, the level of the Arda River has risen sharply, leaving them stranded from the bank. To save themselves, the men climbed onto an excavator, where they spent several hours.
During this time, several unsuccessful attempts were made to remove them with different equipment and boats. Ultimately, after coordinated actions by all involved institutions, including the IARA, the two were successfully removed from the river.
Due to the heavy rainfall, the situation in the Kardzhali region remains complicated. Many tributaries from the Eastern Rhodopes flow into the Arda River, and a red code for dangerous weather has been declared for the region. Among the rivers with the highest water levels was the Krumovitsa, which threatened to flood the bridge connecting the two parts of Krumovgrad.
In many places in the low-lying areas, agricultural lands, outbuildings and cars were flooded. Many basements of residential buildings and educational institutions in the "Druzhba" neighborhood, which was left without electricity, were also flooded.
A total of 24 settlements are without water due to flooded pumping stations. The flood also flooded a number of small roads in the municipalities of Krumovgrad and Kirkovo.
According to data for the last 24 hours, over 120 liters of rain per square meter have fallen in places in the region.