Bulgaria's 112 emergency service carried out six air ambulance missions between 16 and 23 October. The patients were in a serious condition and were flown to specialist hospitals, the 112 National System directorate at the interior ministry said.
The 112 line took 31,328 calls over the week, 10.7% more than in the same week last year. In the previous period, from 9 to 16 October, it took 34,469 regular calls and ran nine air ambulance missions.
Of the calls, 13,567 went on to emergency medical centres and 5,670 to municipalities.
On 17 October, a smartphone sent an automatic alert with coordinates from the Hemus motorway, between the Vitinya and Toplí Dol tunnels. Rescue teams went to the spot. Several calls then came in about an icy stretch of road and a multi-vehicle crash.
On 22 October, a smartwatch sent an automatic alert for urgent medical help. Right after it, a call came in about a person who was helpless. The person was taken to hospital.
Eight of the calls were cross-border, asking for police, fire crews and emergency medical help in France, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Greece and Germany.
There were 7,528 calls about crimes against people and 898 about crimes against property. Road accidents made up 2,006 calls, fires 1,002 and breakdowns and incidents 285. Another 312 calls were about missing people or people in distress.
There were 21 calls about risky driving and street racing, 6 about domestic and industrial incidents, 5 about disasters, 5 about illegal migrants and refugees, and 3 about dangerous substances.