site.btaSixteen Die in Bus Crash on Saturday, Prime Minister Calls Emergency Meeting

Sixteen Die in Bus Crash on Saturday, Prime Minister Calls Emergency Meeting


Sofia, August 26 (BTA) - Sixteen people died in a bus crash 2 km west of Svoge (42 km away from Sofia), including a 13-year old boy, said the police late on Saturday. Fifteen sustained serious injuries. The 34 passengers, mainly of retirement age, were on a day trip to the Seven Altars Monastery. The majority of the victims are from the village of Svetovrachene, Sofia region.

Eight people have been admitted to the Pirogov emergency hospital, and four to Sveta Ana hospital. The bus driver has been admitted to ISUL and another two passengers to the Military Medical Academy.

The accident occurred on a tight bend in heavy rain. The bus smashed into three cars, destroyed the guardrail and overturned into a deep gorge.

Monday has been declared a day of national morning for the victims. An emergency meeting took place at the Interior Ministry on Sunday afternoon in the aftermath of the crash.

According to unconfirmed reports, the passengers were not wearing seat belts on the bus.

The bus had been scheduled to undergo a second technical inspection at the beginning of August but that did not happen. Under the law, all buses older than 10 years are required to pass two yearly inspections. The bus is owned by the Mobilus 5 company which has a valid licence until 2027. The bus driver, who is also the owner of the company, is fully qualified and experienced. The company was registered in 2001 and is financially stable. A comprehensive check in May 2017 did not find any violations.

Twenty-one ambulances from Sofia, Montana and Vratsa were dispatched to the scene.

Health Minister Kiril Ananiev thanked staff at the emergency centres in Sofia, Vratsa and Montana and the hospitals for the timely response and professional care. Both day and nights shifts worked overnight and medics who were not on call reported to work. More beds were added to intensive care units.

The Interior Ministry has launched a phone line, 02 982 50 39, at which relatives of the victims may receive more information.

Four of the patients admitted to Pirogov are in life-threatening condition. Psychologists from the Institute of the Interior Ministry have been called for help, said Interior Minister Valentin Radev. They are working both with the relatives of the victims and firemen and police officers from the rescue teams. There are witnesses to the accident including among the passengers on the bus.

The government has offered condolences to the relatives of the victims and the flags of all institutions will fly at half-mast. President Rumen Radev and National Assembly Chair Tsveta Karayancheva also expressed their condolences. The President cancelled his participation in observances of the 141st anniversary of the Battle of Shipka in the town of Gabrovo on Saturday evening.

During his visit to Pirogov hospital Radev told journalists that this was "a big tragedy". He thanked crews from the police and the fire safety service and the medical teams who responded in the swiftest possible way.

Radev said that the problem with the increasing number of road accidents runs deep and it should be resolved with the concerted efforts of many institutions.

Footballers in matches from the football championship on Sunday and Monday will observe a minute of silence.

The non-governmental Road Safety Institute have warned of flaws on the road through the Iskur gorge which was renovated in 2016, according to Dnevnik. The organization received a report from the Road Infrastructure Agency that commissions had inspected the road and had identified warranty defects.

In the course of the investigation, the prosecution will focus on three aspects of the crash: the actions of the driver, the condition of the bus and of the road surface, said Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov after an emergency meeting on Sunday under the Prime Minister.

The investigation will look into the obligations of the bus operator in connection with that particular trip, the condition of the bus and last but not least the condition of the road surface, and the manner in which it was laid and approved, said Tsatsarov.

The procedure for approval and the classification of the road as in excellent condition will be reviewed along all signals, actions by the Road Infrastructure Agency and the particular contractor. The 40 km/h speed limit which the bus driver failed to observe had been imposed as a result of the bad road conditions. SN/PP//