site.btaDangerous Tank Car at Hitrino Safely Plugged

Dangerous Tank Car at Hitrino Safely Plugged

Hitrino village, Northeastern Bulgaria, December 14 (BTA) - A tank car leaking gas in the Hitrino village has been safely plugged, Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov said Wednesday, speaking in the aftermath of a recent accident with a freight train there. The plugging of the leak will allow rescue teams to continue their work for withdrawing the remaining tank cars from the crash site and the residents to return to the village.

A train carrying flammable chemicals was derailed and one of the tank cars exploded in the village of Hitrino December 10, killing seven, injuring tens of people and destroying many homes.

Fifteen temporary housing units have already been delivered to the nearby village of Timarevo and another nine are expected, Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova said. They are fully equipped with living and heating conditions for the people who lost their homes in the train explosion and the subsequent fire.

People of Hitrino mostly need food, drinking water, blankets, warm winter clothes and shoes, Shoumen Regional Governor Donka Ivanova said.

Courier packages up to 20 kg addressed to Hitrino and the residents of the village will be accepted for a period of one month at no cost for the senders. In this way Bulgarian Posts join the disaster-relief efforts for Hitrino. Ordinary cash transfers will also be accepted free of fee to the bank account that Hitrino Municipality has opened for donations at: DBank AD BG95DEMI92403100181704, DEMIBGSF.

The Bulgarian artistic community has also joined the campaign to support Hitrino. Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov will be the first to donate his works for a fundraising auction at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. Theatrical performances will also donate the proceeds from tickets to Titrino.