Municipalities of Bulgaria

For the fourth consecutive day, efforts continue to restore power to over 100 settlements across Bulgaria, where wet snow from Christmas has caused widespread outages. Thousands of families in the Gabrovo region remain without electricity, with around 50 villages affected in the municipality and about 100 in the broader area.

Borovets, one of Bulgaria's most popular ski resorts, has been left entirely without electricity, as confirmed by a statement on the resort's official Facebook page. According to the electricity distribution company, power supply in the area is expected to be restored around 2:00 p.m. today. As a result, the ski area will remain closed until noon.

The search for 13-year-old Nikolay Iliev from the village of Konare, in Gurkovo municipality, has entered its third day, with no trace of the boy yet. Nikolay, who has Down Syndrome, went missing on Tuesday afternoon and was last seen in front of his home. The boy is described as hyperactive but capable of making contact.

The State Agency "State Reserve and Wartime Stocks" has announced it will supply three municipalities with bottled drinking water due to ongoing drought and reduced water flow in local sources.

The situation in Sredna Gora remains complex. Firefighters from Koprivshtitsa, Gabrovo and Sofia have joined firefighters in the municipality of Hisarya, said the Regional Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection in Plovdiv.

In the latest data released by the National Statistical Institute (NSI), significant changes in Bulgaria's settlements have been noted over the past year. These changes encompass various aspects affecting districts and municipalities across the country. Among these changes is the variation in local taxes levied by municipal councils, reflecting regional economic dynamics.

Heavy rainfall is anticipated in 17 regions of Bulgaria today. According to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, an orange code for heavy rainfall has been issued for 12 regions, while a yellow code is in effect for another 7 regions.

46 of all 257 cities and towns in Bulgaria increased their population last year, and only five of them are regional centers. This shows a comparison of the data of the current demographic statistics of the National Statistical Institute for population by cities and towns as of December 31, 2023 with those of a year earlier, reported BTA.

Recent data released by the National Statistical Institute reveals significant shifts in the population rankings of Bulgaria's municipalities, with Plovdiv emerging as the new second most populous municipality, surpassing Varna.

A fierce hailstorm wreaked havoc across south-eastern Bulgaria, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Regions including Plovdiv, Haskovo, Stara Zagora, and Sliven bore the brunt of the tempest, with crops decimated and infrastructure damaged.