Mayors in several municipalities tried to take advantage of flood repair funds, Disaster Management Minister Emel Etem said.

Today Etem summoned the national crisis headquarters to discuss measures against the damages caused by the latest floods, Focus news agency reported.

Etem said committees will examine the requests of all municipalities for additional funding. Municipality officials will receive special instructions concerning the measures that need to be undertaken, Etem said.

Among the prioritised measures is the cleaning of riverbanks and inspection of dikes. Mayors are responsible for such measures, Etem said. Municipal administrators will also be accountable for all failures in the implementation of preventive measures, said she.

Despite the state of emergency in several regions Etem said the situation is not as critical as in the summer of 2005, when Bulgaria was hit by heavy downpours.

All villages hit anew by floods will receive funds, Etem said, if administrators send proper request applications.