Fire Allegedly Caused by Migrants Rages On in SE Bulgaria

A fire that broke out on Tuesday in the area of Gramatikovo, not far from the Bulgarian-Turkish border, has been spreading for 24 hours, firefighters say.

A group of seven Afghan migrants has been detained in relation to the events, according to police officials.

Public broadcaster BNT, however, quotes local authorities as saying the blaze was caused by another migrant group, made of Syrian nationals, who were arrested earlier, not far from the village of Gramatikovo.

Firefighters and volunteers have been fighting the flames since Tuesday morning.

Malko Tarnovo mayor Iliyan Yanchev told Focus Radio on Wednesday morning the rough and steep terrain made it more difficult to contain the fire, whose front could possibly spread to a nearby forest area.