site.btaOctober 10, 1994: Accident at Maritsa East 3 TPP Leaves 21 Dead

An accident that left 21 dead and 26 injured occurred at the Maritsa East 3 thermal power plant (TPP) near the village of Galabovo (South Central Bulgaria) on October 10, 1994. The wall of a hot water tank ruptured at the welding point, causing boiling water to flood two nearby workshops.

Here is BTA's Bulgarian-language report on the accident:

Six Dead in Accident near Galabovo, Civil Protection Reports 

Sofia, October 10, 1994 /BTA/ – An accident occurred at 10:50 a.m. this morning at TPP 3 near Galabovo, Civil Protection told BTA. The accident involved a 2,000-cubic-meter condensate storage tank filled with 90-degree hot water. Preliminary reports indicated six fatalities, with 20 people suffering burns to over 80% of their bodies and five others with burns covering 50% of their bodies. Тhe rescue operation involved Civil Defense units at the TPP, a Civil Protection squad from Stara Zagora, helicopters from the Plovdiv ambulance service, a medical team from the Military Medical Academy, and a specialized medical aircraft with a team from the Pirogov Institute. Local healthcare facilities also provided assistance.

Details About the Victims in Galabovo Accident

Stara Zagora, October 10, 1994 /BTA/ – At 11:15 AM today, the wall of a metal water tank containing nearly 2,000 cubic meters of hot water at the Maritsa East 3 Thermal Power Plant ruptured at the welding point. The resulting flood of boiling water engulfed workers and bystanders in the adjacent workshops. Five people were killed on the spot. Their identities have yet to be confirmed. Some 19 people were reported injured, according to the medical teams from Civil Protection and hospitals in Galabovo and Stara Zagora, who were involved in rescue operations.

A woman died at the hospital in Galabovo shortly after the accident. Many of the injured were transferred to hospitals in Stara Zagora and Plovdiv. Of these, 15 were admitted to the Stara Zagora hospital. Specialists from the Pirogov Institute arrived by military helicopter around 4 p.m. One critically injured person was airlifted to Sofia, and 10 more patients were scheduled for transport later that evening, according to Dr. Lisichkov, the deputy director of the Stara Zagora hospital.

An air ambulance was stationed at the Stara Zagora airport, with a larger aircraft expected soon. All of the injured are currently in the intensive care unit, suffering from second- and third-degree burns, Dr. Lisichkov said. He also noted that about eight of the injured are in critical condition. An official investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident and assess the damage, according to the Stara Zagora commission for civil protection in the event of disasters and accidents.