London, Sep 10 - Pop diva Madonna has been declared unlucky for Bulgaria by the religious leaders of the country. They claim that her decision to perform in the country on a holy day led to a boat accident killing 15 people.

Church officials were outraged by the singer's plans to stage her Sticky & Sweet tour in the capital Sofia Aug 29 as the day Orthodox Christians mark the beheading of Saint John the Baptist with a fast, reports express.co.uk.

Following the protests, the singer refused to reschedule the date and religious leaders are convinced her defiance of their sacred customs led to the disaster on Macedonia's Lake Ohrid, which killed 15 Bulgarian citizens.

'The catastrophe in Macedonia in which 15 Bulgarian citizens died was a sign from heaven. The Orthodox Church had called for people not to enjoy themselves on the day marking the execution of John. We should not allow the young to have fun on a day that should be dedicated to spiritual reflection,' said church leader Nikolay, in the city of Plovdiv, close to Sofia.

The news comes after the country's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov criticised sports officials last week for letting the gig take place at the Vasil Levski Stadium, insisting the concert damaged the venue's grass pitch.