Varna

Illegal logging accounts for 1/3 of the wood produced in the region of the flood-stricken Varna district of Asparuhovo, according to Agriculture Minister Dimitar Grekov.

The Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna reported a death toll of 12 and massive damage to the infrastructure and housing after heavy rain and severe flooding on Thursday.

Twenty Syrian refugees are to assist in managing the consequences of flash floods that struck the city of Varna and other places in northeast and north-central Bulgaria.

The group of refugees based in a camp near the southern town of Harmanli is to set off within days and numbers of volunteers applying to help.

The body of one of the missing children was found in Varna's district of  Asparuhovo, reports the Bulgarian National Radio. 

It was found when clearing up debris from the flood in one of the worst affected areas of Asparuhovo on Monday afternoon.

It is yet unclear if it is the body of the three-year-old girl, or the six-year-old boy.

The municipal administration of the flood-stricken city of Varna is calling for volunteers to continue clearing of the area during the workweek.

"Due to the start of the workweek, the number of volunteers involved in the cleaning of the Asparuhovo district has dropped dramatically," the municipal press center says.

Local authorities have ordered the mandatory evacuation of 27 properties in Varna's district of Asparuhovo, which was hit by a flash flood last Thursday. 

According to the Vesti website, the activation of the landslides as a result of the flood threatens the 27 homes in Asparuhovo and a detailed is needed. 

Dozens of German students came to the assistance of the victims in Bulgaria's flood ravaged port city of Varna.

The students are among the many local and foreign volunteers helping in the destroyed district of Asparuhovo, Bulgarian private BTV reported, Monday.

Macedonian media and ordinary citizens expressed their indignation that FYROM hasn't offered any aid to flood-stricken Bulgaria, reports Darik radio. 

Varna Chief Architect Viktor Buzev said Monday that more than 50% of houses in flood-stricken Asparuhovo district were illegally built.

A charity campaign to support people affected by last week's flash floods has gathered BGN 615 000 (rougly EUR 307 500) via text messages in less than three days.

Another BGN 70 000 have been transferred to the bank accounts of the Bulgarian Charities Aid Foundation (BCAF), which manages the event, its representatives were quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio as saying.

A crack is widening in a dam near the village of Novo Botevo, kilometers away from Varna where eleven people died in Thursday's flash floods, local officials say.