site.btaThree Workers Injured in Zheleznitsa Tunnel Collapse

Sofia, June 24 (BTA) - Three workers were injured in the
collapse of the Zheleznitsa tunnel on the Struma motorway in the
 southwest. The accident was reported around 10:30 a.m., and
ambulances, rescue teams, fire fighters and the Police were
dispatched immediately.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Interior Minister Mladen Marinov
and head of the Military Medical Academy Prof. Ventsislav
Moutafchiiski visited a private hospital in Blagoevgrad where
one of the three injured workers is hospitalized.

His two colleagues were taken to Blagoevgrad general hospital.
Earlier, its director Dr. Ognyan Mitev informed that one of the
injured workers will be transported to the capital. He is
suffering from a lung contusion, three broken ribs and a
pneumothorax. According to Dr. Mitev, the other worker in
Blagoevgrad hospital is in a good condition.

The Prime Minister was briefed on the condition of the injured
by their treating doctors. He also visited the site of the
accident. Citing workers' testimonies, the Prime Minister said
that the rain has rendered the rock brittle, and that caused the
 slide of five to six cubic meters of rock. Minister of Regional
 Development and Public Works Petya Avramova who was
accompanying the Premier said that the workers followed the
emergency protocols which was key in saving their colleagues'
lives.
     
All the competent authorities have made their measurements in
the area, the Minister added. On first inspection, they did not
find any violations in the operations on site, but large-scale
projects such as this one (a 2-km tunnel) are always related to
various risks.

All working activities are currently halted while the architects
 and construction supervisors are formulating immediate measures
 to clear and strengthen the collapsed passage, the Minister
said. She added that a team of experts will conduct a full
investigation into the accident and come up with conclusions in
a timely fashion, so as not to interrupt the construction of the
 Zheleznitsa tunnel. Work can resume in the northern end of the
construction site.

The Prosecutor's Office of Appeals in Sofia informed that the
Regional Prosecutor's Office in Blagoevgrad is leading an
investigation into a case of causing bodily injury through
ignorance. According to the Criminal Code, the culprits face up
to 2 years of imprisonment.

NV/MT