Heating Supply Failure Leaves Five Sofia Neighborhoods Without Heat and Hot Water

Sofia, Bulgaria – Residents of five neighborhoods in Bulgaria’s capital were left without heating and hot water after a supply failure occurred late Sunday night. The affected districts include “Mladost 1,” “Studentski grad,” “Vitosha,” “Darvenitsa,” and “Malinova dolina.”

The issue first emerged at 10:40 p.m. in “Mladost 1” before spreading to the other neighborhoods after midnight.

“Toplofikatsiya Sofia,” the city’s heating utility company, attributed the disruption to a malfunction in a heating supply pipeline located in the yard of “St. Anna” Hospital—District Hospital.

According to officials from “Toplofikatsiya Sofia,” the pipeline in question dates back to the 1980s and has exceeded its operational lifespan. Plans for a complete modernization of the system are already underway.

The company confirmed that a contract for the replacement of the aging infrastructure has been signed, with design and coordination procedures currently in progress.

The immediate priority, however, remains the restoration of heating services to the affected areas. “Toplofikatsiya Sofia” has assured residents that the heating supply is expected to be reinstated by February 12 at 12:10 a.m.

Despite these reassurances, no specific timeline has been provided for the long-term replacement of the deteriorating pipeline.

Many Sofia residents have expressed frustration over the frequent heating issues during the winter season, particularly as the city experiences colder temperatures.

Some citizens took to social media to criticize the aging infrastructure and delays in modernization efforts, calling for faster action from municipal authorities and the heating company.

“We understand the concerns of our customers and acknowledge the inconvenience caused by this outage,” a representative from “Toplofikatsiya Sofia” stated.

“Our teams are working around the clock to restore heating services as soon as possible. In parallel, we are accelerating efforts to modernize the network to prevent such incidents in the future.”

This is not the first time Sofia has experienced heating disruptions due to outdated infrastructure.

Previous failures have prompted calls for increased investment in the city’s district heating system, which serves a significant portion of the population.

The heating failure highlights broader concerns about the aging utility networks in Sofia, which require substantial funding and strategic planning to modernize effectively.

While the city has committed to replacing old pipelines, the process is complex and requires careful coordination with other infrastructure projects.

With no firm date set for the completion of the long-term modernization efforts, residents of the affected neighborhoods remain cautious about future disruptions.

Many are now hoping that the latest outage will serve as a catalyst for faster and more efficient infrastructure upgrades in Bulgaria’s capital.

For now, residents of “Mladost 1,” “Studentski grad,” “Vitosha,” “Darvenitsa,” and “Malinova dolina” will have to rely on alternative heating methods until services are fully restored in the coming hours.

“Toplofikatsiya Sofia” has pledged to keep the public updated on any further developments regarding both the immediate repair work and the broader replacement project.

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members