Pazardzhik Province

A 2.6-magnitude earthquake has been registered near Batak, southern Bulgaria, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reports.

The minor tremor occurred at 20:33 local time and had its epicenter 32 km to the south of the town of Pazardzhik, 12 km to the east of Batak, at a depth of 15 km.

No injuries or damages have been reported.

The district governor of Bulgaria's Pazardzhik declared a partial state of emergency on Thursday due to burst dikes.

The protective dikes of river Topolnitsa in the vicinity of Pazardzhik and river Luda Yana near the village of Pishtigovo have burst.

Parts of Bulgaria are continuing to be affected by floods and power cuts as precipitations are continuing on Saturday.

According to the latest data of the Fire Safety and Protection of the Population service, 284 settlements in the districts of Kardzhali, Smolyan and Haskovo remain without electricity.

Hundreds of towns in southern Bulgaria remain without electricity supplies and with severe problems with road infrastructure after the prolific snowfalls.

The state of emergency issued in the municipalities of Smolyan, Kardzhali, Haskovo, Pazardzhik and Plovdiv remains in force, the Bulgarian National television reported.

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 code red warning has been issued for Friday in two municipalities in the south of Bulgaria, the national meteorology institute has announced.

In the regions of Smolyan and Kardzhali, snowfall of up to 70 l/sqm is expected, according to the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of Science.

Heavy rains have flooded parts of Bulgaria on Wednesday night, local media outlets report.

Rainfall of up to 75 liters per square meter has flooded basements and ground floors of private homes in Sliven municipality. Fire brigade teams worked all night long to drain the flooded property, Darik news informs.

Bulgaria's caretaker government has approved the issuance of a metallic mineral prospecting permit at the Borimechkovo terrain.

The permit will be granted to Asarel-Exploration EAD, the investment arm of leading copper ore mining and processing company Asarel-Medet, for a period of three years, according to reports of money.bg.

After a one-year intermission, Beglika Fest will be held for the sixth time on the shores of the Golyam Beglik dam in Bulgaria's Rhodope mountains, August 21-24. 

The festival, which includes avant-garde and ethnic music, stage performances, workshops, exhibitions, open discussions, lectures, art installations, sports events, has become a favourite for “those who think differently”. 

Bulgaria's northeastern Shumen region is at risk of flooding due to the rising levels in several local reservoirs, regional governor Ventsislav Venkov informs.