Two British holidaymakers presumed dead after being buried alive by 7,000 cubic feet of rock and dirt while visiting popular waterfall attraction in Bulgaria

  • Two British tourists have been buried in a rockslide in northern Bulgaria
  • The pair, along with a local companion, were hit while walking on a path
  • Emergency services have been working at the scene of the incident today
  • But the couple are presumed dead after being buried alive at the tourist site

By John Stevens for the Daily Mail

Published: 12:08 EST, 6 November 2015 | Updated: 16:22 EST, 6 November 2015

Two British holidaymakers were tonight presumed dead after they were buried alive under an avalanche of stone as they posed for a photograph at a waterfalls in Bulgaria.

Rescue workers attempted to dig out the couple, thought to be in their thirties, who became trapped when around 7,000 cubic feet of rock came down, but they could not be found.

The man and woman were having their picture taken on a bridge at the remote mountain beauty spot in northern Bulgaria at around midday when the rockslide occurred.

Rescue workers at the site of the Bulgarian waterfall at which two British holidaymakers are presumed dead after being buried alive under an avalanche of stone

Rescue workers at the site of the Bulgarian waterfall at which two British holidaymakers are presumed dead after being buried alive under an avalanche of stone

The pair were walking beside the Krushuna Waterfalls (pictured) in Bulgaria today when an avalanche of rock and dirt tumbled down on top of them. Their companion, a local, managed to escape and raise the alarm

Locals said they were on a section of the iron bridge by a cave when a large section of the overhanging rock above them suddenly came crashing down.

Viktor Dzhonev, who runs a guest house near the Krushuna falls in Letnitsa province, told the Mail: ‘The man and woman were under the cliffs. Another woman was taking a picture of them with a camera when it happened.

‘A small piece of rock hit her but she got away. The couple were buried.’

Locals said the couple were on a section of the suspended path by a cave when a large section of the overhanging rock above them suddenly came crashing down

Locals said the couple were on a section of the suspended path by a cave when a large section of the overhanging rock above them suddenly came crashing down

Rescue workers were unable to find the couple, thought to be in their thirties, despite attempts to dig them out from underneath the 7,000 cubic feet of rock

Rescue workers were unable to find the couple, thought to be in their thirties, despite attempts to dig them out from underneath the 7,000 cubic feet of rock

He said fire and rescue teams had been working to find the couple but that it had been difficult because access to the spot is difficult. ‘They are still looking for them, they will continue all night,’ he added.

‘I’m sure they will find them, they will keep going until they do, but I think there is almost zero chance they are still alive. It would be a miracle.’

Mr Dzhonev said it was not known what had caused the rockfall, but said there had been a similar incident a few years ago.

‘It was perfect weather, there was no rain, it was sunny all day. I don’t have an idea why it happened. Around three years ago there was another fall when another cliff came down.’

The man and woman were walking on a rope bridge at the remote mountain beauty spot in northern Bulgaria at around midday today when the rockslide occurred

The man and woman were walking on a rope bridge at the remote mountain beauty spot in northern Bulgaria at around midday today when the rockslide occurred

A police car arrives at the scene of the accident, where a British couple are believed to have died after being buried by an avalanche of rocks 

A police car arrives at the scene of the accident, where a British couple are believed to have died after being buried by an avalanche of rocks 

An official at the Bulgarian Interior Ministry in Lovech, a city around 20 miles from the scene, told local media that the woman who raised the alarm was a Bulgarian friend of the couple who had managed to escape.

She was admitted hospital but was not in a critical condition.

The British pair are thought to have arrived in Bulgaria a couple of days go to visit her.

An official at the Bulgarian Interior Ministry in Lovech, a city around 20 miles from the scene, told local media that the woman who raised the alarm was a Bulgarian friend of the couple who had managed to escape

An official at the Bulgarian Interior Ministry in Lovech, a city around 20 miles from the scene, told local media that the woman who raised the alarm was a Bulgarian friend of the couple who had managed to escape

The Krushuna waterfalls are said to be the largest in Bulgaria. Visitors can walk through a gorge with a series of caves before getting to them.

Carvings made into the rock by monks who lived there in the 13th century can be seen from the walkway leading to the falls.

The Foreign Office said they were working to find out more details about the incident.

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