'Wall of water' kills at least 8 after dam breaks in Bulgaria

'Wall of water' kills at least 8 after dam breaks in Bulgaria

2012-02-07 10:51:20 GMT+7 (ICT)

SOFIA, BULGARIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least eight people were killed on early Monday morning when snow and rain-swollen rivers burst a dam in southern Bulgaria, destroying dozens of homes, officials said. As many as four people remain missing.

The accident happened between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. local time when a wall from the Ivanovo dam burst in the village of Biser, which is located in the municipality of Harmanli in Haskovo Province. The village is home to approximately 1,000 people.

Witnesses said the village and others nearby were devastated by a tsunami-like wave of at least 3 meters (9.8 feet) high, destroying dozens of houses and vehicles as many residents fled to the top of buildings. Some of the victims died when the water hit their homes as they were sleeping, officials said.

According to the Interior Ministry, at least eight people were killed while four others remain missing and are feared to have drowned. Two air force helicopters were deployed to assist in the search and rescue operations, but Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov expressed anger after being informed that the aircraft were not equipped with anti-freezing systems, making it dangerous to operate in the extreme cold.

Nonetheless, the helicopters were able to rescue at least two people who were trapped in their vehicle. Borissov further authorized the National Plan for Disaster Protection in flooding for the regions of Haskovo, Smolyan, Kurdjali and Stara Zagora, the Bulgarian news agency BTA said.

At the height of the flooding, the water reached the second floor of most houses in the area near the dam, collapsing many of them. In addition to the fatalities, officials also reported that at least 27 people were hospitalized at area hospitals as a result of various injuries and frostbite.

The incident comes as Bulgaria, along with most of Europe, continues to face harsh winter conditions and heavy rainfall. The severe weather in Europe has killed at least 368 people as of Monday, according to official reports from several countries.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-02-07