Flooding caused by heavy rainfall along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on Friday killed three people in a resort town, authorities said, with muddy torrents sweeping away cars.A state of emergency has been declared in several municipalities in the southeast and northwest of the country.
Videos shared on social media showed torrents of muddy water sweeping cars away along one of the main streets in the Black Sea resort of Elenite.
The body of a man was found in an apartment in a hotel complex, and two rescuers also died, officials said.
The flooding damaged buildings and roads, and several vehicles were dragged into the sea, Deputy Interior Minister Toni Todorov told reporters, adding that "a drone was dispatched" to check if the cars were occupied.
Environmentalists have been sounding the alarm for years on construction along the Black Sea coast, saying it worsens damage during natural disasters.