New wave of bomb threats empties Bulgaria’s health fund and courthouses

A fresh wave of bomb threats disrupted several Bulgarian institutions on Monday morning. In Sofia, visitors and staff were evacuated from the National Health Insurance Fund, a BTA reporter at the scene said. Sofia police said they were following standard procedure, while the Interior Ministry said similar warnings had been received for other sites in the capital, without naming them.

In Stara Zagora, the courthouse was closed at around 11:15 a.m. after a threat reached the district prosecutor’s office by email, and hearings not yet under way will be rescheduled. In Lovech, the regional administration, the National Revenue Agency and the district court received threatening emails and staff were evacuated. Access to the courthouse in Pazardzhik was restricted at about 10:30 a.m.

Bulgaria has faced repeated waves of such threats for weeks, including on four of five working days between Oct. 5 and Oct. 9, targeting schools, kindergartens and public bodies. No explosive devices have been reported found. The latest threats come a week before the presidential election.