site.btaTrain Carrying LPG Explodes in NE Bulgaria, at Least Five Dead, Dozens Injured

Train Carrying LPG Explodes in NE Bulgaria, Five Dead, Dozens Injured

Shoumen, Northeastern Bulgaria, December 10 (BTA) - Tank cars of a freight train carrying LPG exploded in the village of Hitrino in Northeastern Bulgaria in the early morning of Saturday, the Shoumen regional administration's security officer on duty told BTA.

The Interior Ministry confirmed that five people have died and 29 have been injured in the explosion, which has also destroyed nearby buildings. A dozen people have been found and rescued from the ruins of their demolished homes as of noon. Over 50 houses have been damaged, in addition to other public buildings. Search and rescue operations continue. All residents will be asked to leave the village until work on removing the hazardous substances is completed. This is a high-risk operation, for which a group of experts from the oil refinery in Bourgas will arrive. Police officers will be watching over the evacuees' property.

Investigations of what caused the accident are ongoing.

Close to 200 firefighters, rescuers and police officers are working at the scene to contain the situation following the explosion. A total of 22 fire fighting teams from large cities nearby have been dispatched to the village.

The Executive Environment Agency has sent a mobile station to monitor the air quality in the vicinity of the accident, the Shoumen Regional Environment and Water Inpsectorate reported. The analyses show that the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels are now within the norms. No hazardous toxic substances were found to be present in the air and the local population is not at risk, the tests show.
 
The Health Ministry reported that three of the victims, who were initially taken to hospital in Shoumen, were later transported to the St. Marina Hospital in the coastal city of Varna and another three to the Varna Naval Medical Academy. An 18 year-old man has died in hospital in Shoumen.

Three of those admitted in the Shoumen hospital are in critical condition and on life support, which prevents their transportation at this time.
 
A medical team from Varna has been dispatched to Shoumen and transportation of blood and plasma from across the country towards the northeastern city has been is organized. 

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Deputy Interior Minister Krassimir Tsipov and Nikolay Nikolov are at the scene of the incident.
 
Earlier in the morning, Borissov said on Facebook that he was informed that the hospital in Shoumen needs blood. "They are constantly admitting new victims. I am ask everyone who can, to donate blood for saving the injured," he said.

Upon arriving in Hitrino Borissov quoted the train's engineer as saying that a tank car has exploded when the train set got disconnected after the fifth car. The damages are huge, some of the victims have suffered over 99 per cent burns, Borissov said, adding that the number of casualties is expected to grow.
 
The prosecuting service is in Hitrino and investigators are determining the causes of the accident. "We will help the people, but the victims can not be brought back," the Prime Minister commented.

President Rosen Plevneliev is monitoring the situation, his Press Secretariat reported.
He urged the responsible institutions to take all measures for containing the disaster. The head of State has called on citizens to provide assistance and follow the instructions of the rescuers and medical teams in the vicinity of the accident.

The National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) reported that the train, travelling from Bourgas (on the Black Sea) to Rousse (on the Danube), derailed upon entering the village of Hitrino at 5:37 am, causing the tank cars to turn over which resulted in the explosion. 

The freight train was transporting 12 cars with propylene and four cars with LPG. NRIC explained that there were also empty cars, which is a requirement for transporting hazardous cargo.

The Rousse-based Bulmarket company was transporting the cargo. It is a private company involved in the trade and supply of LPG and natural gas, rail transport, among other activities. The company's manager, Dimiter Baev, said that in this case they were only transporting the cargo.
 
Stanko Stankov of Bulmarket told BTA that the two locomotives of the derailed train are property of Bulmarket, while the tank cars and their cargo are owned by a Romanian customer.

He explained that the cargo was being transported from Bourgas to Rousse and then to Romania. Stankov said that the train engineers are very experienced, with one of them having over ten years of work experience.

According to him, all cars have been inspected. Stankov said the competent authorities are yet to determine the causes of the accident. The company has not had any incidents in the past in transporting cargo.

Prime Minister Borissov has ordered the activation of the National Disaster Response Plan, Cabinet's press service reported. In Hitrino Borissov is managing the work of the national task force for executing the action plan. On the task force are deputy prime ministers Tomislav Donchev and Roumyana Buchvara, Health Minister Moskov, Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski, Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov and the head of Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate General, Nikolay Nikolov.

Starting on Saturday, a 325 leva one-time grant aid will be provided to those left without shelter. A commission is being formed to start assessing the damages and provide urgent assistance to the victims.

The Council of Ministers is preparing a decision to declare Monday, December 12, a national day of mourning.