Velingrad

A Syrian boy donated his one-year savings to help the poor people in the village of Krastava, whose homes burned down - Pirin News writes.

11-year-old Firas Zayad collected BGN 175 in coins and banknotes in his piggy bank, which he now donates. The child donates for the third time.

An outbreak of African Swine Fever has been confirmed after a laboratory test of a dead wild boar in Arnautska Polyana area, the Municipality of Velingrad said on August 20. In order to prevent the spread of the disease, the Municipal Epizootic Commission has decided to suspend logging, to ban visits of tourists and to ban picking of mushrooms, herbs, and berries.

Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova said on Saturday that 5.2 million foreign tourists visited Bulgaria in the first seven months of 2018, an increase of 7% compared with the first seven months of 2017. Angelkova said her ministry's goal of 10 million foreign tourists visiting Bulgaria in 2019 was "realistic".

There are as many as twenty-one presidential pairs running the forthcoming elections in Bulgaria, all competing to take over the office of President.

A cash machine has been stolen from the foyer of a bank located in the centre of the Bulgarian town of Velingrad, metres away from the building of the municipality.

The signal for the theft was submitted by security guards early on Friday morning.

The robbers have broken into the building of the bank which is located on the main pedestrian street of Velingrad.

Police are looking into possible links of offers to people smuggling migrants into Bulgaria, an official has said.

The suspects are working at a police pepartment in the town of Velingrad, next to the border with Turkey, the Interior Ministry's Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov has told private NOVA TV station.

The regions of Smolyan and Kardzhali, as well as the municipalities of Ivaylovgrad Laki, Batak, Sarnitsa, Velingrad, Haskovo and Galabovo remain in a state of emergency over the heavy rains and snowstorms in Bulgaria.

Close to 538 locations across the country had no electricity, as announced by the Interior Ministry's Press Office.

Power supply to more than 800 locations in southern Bulgaria has been disrupted as of Sunday evening due to heavy snowfall now in its third day.

Some villages and towns in the regions of Smolyan and Kardzhali as well as the southernmost areas of Pazardzhik region have remained without water supply, too, as water pumps were idled by the lack of electricity.

A large bear scared a family travelling in their car in the Yundola area above the town of Velingrad in the Rhodopes, reports Darik radio. 

The husband said the bear jumped in front of the car shortly after midnight on Thursday when the family was driving back from a vacation in Greece. 

The bear also got scared and ran away in the woods, according to the reports.