An emergency situation blocked rail transport in Southeastern Bulgaria after the fast train to Sofia was forcibly stopped at the Sliven railway station following a signal of an explosive device, FACT has learned from its sources. The station area was completely cordoned off by massive police and gendarmerie forces, and the passengers from the train and BDZ employees were urgently evacuated to a safe distance.
The reason for the radical security measures is an abandoned suitcase with unclear contents, discovered by passengers in one of the train carriages shortly before its arrival at the platform in Sliven. Noticing the abandoned luggage, the citizens immediately signaled the conductors, who urgently activated the terrorist threat protocol and notified the Ministry of Interior. Ambulances and Fire Safety teams have already arrived on site.
At the moment, the movement of all trains in the area of Sliven station has been completely suspended. The cordoned off perimeter is strictly guarded, and the arrival of the specialized counter-terrorism unit is expected – SOBT (Specialized Counter-Terrorism Unit). The sappers will have to check the suspicious luggage with the help of a specialized robot and carry out a controlled explosion if the situation requires it.