Heavy rain over the past few days has soaked the slopes above Pamporovo, a popular ski resort in Bulgaira, setting off a landslide that shut down the Smolyan–Pamporovo road (III-864) completely. The ground hasn’t settled yet – there’s still movement.
The region saw between 40 and 70 mm of rain (about 1.5 to 2.8 inches) in just a short time, way more than the soil could handle. Once the earth got too waterlogged, its structure gave way, and things started to slide.
There’s about a 70-meter stretch (around 230 feet) that’s taken the worst of it, with deep cracks splitting across both lanes. Some of the land keeps shifting, and the road itself is now basically a danger zone.
Officials say the landslide is still moving, and nobody knows when things will get back to normal. Each day, the risk gets higher as the soggy slope keeps losing its grip.
Geçmiş olsun Pamporovo!
— DlZMANA (@dizmanacom) May 1, 2026
Bugün Raykovski Livadi civarında meydana gelen büyük heyelan nedeniyle Smolyan – Pamporovo karayolu (8641 kodlu yol) ulaşıma kapandı.
Can ve mal kaybı olmadığı bildirildi.
Heyelan anı, o an orada bulunan bir kişinin kamerasına böyle yansıdı. https://t.co/VLx5KelDXI pic.twitter.com/uVkLLBRkYo
People are starting to worry about what else could be at risk. If the ground keeps sliding, it could threaten power lines, buildings, and even a gas pipeline nearby.
This isn’t unusual for the area. Long stretches of rain seep deep, build up pressure, and weaken the earth, and eventually, gravity wins out. In mountain areas like the Rhodopes, that chain reaction can get out of hand fast.
So, the road stays closed, the slope isn’t stable, and any more rain could make everything worse.
The situation is still unfolding.
