Nearly 20 settlements in the region of Plovdiv suffered damage after intense downpours hit the region, State Agency for Civil Defence (SACD) Plovdiv representative Atanas Atanasov said.

The village of Pravishte is in the gravest condition. More than 30 houses have been flooded and 30 people were evacuated from their homes, Atanasov said.

The residential district of Polatovo in the town of Stamboliiski declared state of emergency.

Water level in some of the houses in the village of Gelemenovo, Pazardzhik reached 1.5 m and they can be only reached by boats.

Assenovgrad- Smolyan road was closed for several hours due to landslides.

Part of the Trakia highway is also closed.

In the last several hours rainfall reached 84 l per sq m in Pazardzhik region, 28 l per sq m in Plovdiv and 18 l per sq m in Sofia.