The search for a 58-year-old man from the town of Peshtera who was swept away by the rising waters of the Stara Reka River after torrential rain continued on Tuesday. Police teams, tracking dogs and a drone are taking part in the operation after efforts to locate him continued until late Monday night.
The man disappeared after going to help his wife and child when the river rose sharply. He managed to get them to safety but was then swept away by the powerful current.
“My brother's house is by the river. By the time he left the door of the house, the river had taken him,” the man's twin brother, Krasimir, said.
The heavy rainfall caused Stara Reka to overflow and flood several houses in Peshtera's Lukovitsa district. Firefighters evacuated eight people, including children, from the affected properties.
Police said the flooding was caused by extremely intense rainfall over a short period. Runoff from the Batashki Rid watershed led to a rapid rise in the river level and created dangerous conditions in the area.
