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

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

Shoumen, Northeastern Bulgaria, December 10 (BTA) - Tank cars in 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.

At least five people have died in the explosion. The head of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorate, Nikolay Nikolov, told BTA that more than 20 people are in hospital with serious burns and fractures. The explosion caused a major fire which spread to houses in Hitrino. TV footage of the accident show the
 railway tracks crossing right through the village. The accident occurred around 5:30 in the morning while most people were still sleeping in their homes.

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, the tank cars turned over which caused the explosion. The damages from the accident are huge. A fire has
started, there are casualties and wounded. The causes of the accident are yet to be determined.

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.

A total of 26 people have been admitted tot he Shoumen hospital following the incident, the Health Ministry reported. Three of  them have later been transported to the St. Marina Hospital in the coastal city of Varna and another three to the Varna Military Medical Academy. An 18 year-old man has died in the hospital in Shoumen.

Three of the victims 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.

The transportation of blood and plasma from across the country towards Shoumen has been is organized.
 
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Facebook that he is on hisway to Hitrino and called upon all citizens who can help to do so. "I was informed that the hospital in Shoumen needs blood. They are constantly admitting new victims. I ask everyone who can to donate blood for saving the injured," he said.

Upon arriving in Hitrino later on Saturday morning, 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, five people have died and over 26 are injured, some of them with over 99 per cent burns, Borissov said, adding that the number of casualties is expected to grow.
 
The prosecuting service is in Hitrino, investigators are on their way to determine the causes of the accident. "We will help the people, but the victims can not be brought back," the Prime Minister commented.
 
People nearby have been evacuated and firefighters are pouring water on the full tank cars in order to prevent secondary explosions. According to Borissov, the fire is not being extinguished because this is safer. The prosecuting magistracy has allowed the some of the remaining tank cars to be moved to a safer location. 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 Interior Ministry said that work on containing the situation near the crash site continues. Over 150 firefighters are at the scene, as well as rescue teams from Shoumen, Razgrad, Turgovishte, Varna and Rousse. The first firefighters have responded and arrived at the scene of the accident at around 6:00 am - 15 minutes after the explosion was reported. The first police officers also arrived at about the same time, who
immediately sealed off the area, after which people started to be evacuated.

The authorities have managed to take 12 people out of the ruins of their homes.

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.