Elenite: The Flood Case, Lawsuits Against Nesebar Municipality

Almost two weeks after the devastating flood in the Elenite holiday village, the questions that should have been answered long ago are still hanging in the air. Who authorized construction on the riverbed? Who will take responsibility for the tragedy? For now, there are no answers.

The family of the deceased excavator operator, who lost his life during the disaster, is determined to seek justice through legal means. The family's lawyer, Nikolai Dimitrov, confirmed to BNT that a claim will be filed against the state for the impressive sum of 1 million and 400 thousand leva. The claim is directed specifically against the Municipality of Nessebar, the Basin Directorate, and the Ministry of Environment, organizations that the relatives of the deceased consider responsible for the death of the 62-year-old man. The mother, wife, and his two children, each of whom mourns the heavy loss, are claiming compensation in the amount of 350 thousand leva for non-pecuniary damages.

At the same time, the memories of the deceased Tsanko Ivanov, the deceased excavator operator, remain alive in the hearts of his neighbors. Todor Vasilev, his neighbor, shares about the character of the deceased: "He responded at a bad time in a bad place. I don't know why such a fate happened to him. There is no person he has not helped. I used to tell him: "Run for mayor and leave this excavator", and he would laugh. Always smiling, always kind." His responsiveness and kindness remain inextricably linked to the memory of him.

In addition to this, the owners of properties in the Elenite holiday village are also preparing to seek their rights in court. They are planning claims against the investor, the Municipality of Nessebar, and the state. The chairman of the Owners' Association, Greta Ganeva, emphasizes the need for justice: "We will, of course, file claims. The damages will have to be compensated because that is fair. Unfortunately, it turned out that the public state property, the river, instead of moving along its bed, was moving under our properties."

The BNT reporting team once again tried to get an answer to the question: "Who built on the river?", this time directly from the owner of the Elenite holiday village - Vetko Arabadzhiev. Unfortunately, the meeting turned out to be extremely short.

Vetko Arabadzhiev's lawyer, Iliyan Vasilev, offered a different point of view, answering the questions asked.

"BNT: When we don't ask the other side - we expose ourselves, and when we ask - we expose ourselves again. Is that right, lawyer Vasilev? Iliyan Vasilev: The point is that now you are not looking for the truth, you are looking for some... - We are looking for why the hotel "Negresco" was built on a river?" - Don't confuse me with politicians who are trying to be polite. You are not looking for the truth, but looking for some superficial sensation. The truth does not interest you at all. - We are looking for the truth about the hotel "Negresco".- If you are interested in the truth, there are many services, bodies - state, municipal, which, among other things, have the obligation to answer you."

Meanwhile, over 200 people have been evacuated to hotels after the flood. But the question of who will cover the costs of their accommodation remains unanswered. It is obvious that people are in a difficult situation.

"The municipality has not paid. Emil - my friend paid me for the nights in the hotel", shares one of the victims. "In a private apartment, to the owners. But we are supposed to pay. They want to. We don't know how much. We will look for something free, if we don't find it…" Another resident of the village adds: "Very difficult. We pay about 900 leva for an apartment. We are five people in a small place," said Sandzhar, a resident of Elenite.

The BNT team tried to get clarity from the Municipality of Nessebar on this key issue. The answer received from the municipality was laconic: "I don't know who can answer your questions".

On Monday, an official e-mail was sent to the Municipality with a specific question: "Who authorized construction on a river?_q_ To date, there is no answer. While some seek justice in court, and others seek a roof over their heads, the institutions continue to remain silent. The questions remain unanswered: who will take responsibility for the flood?