After a tank train derailed near Simeonovgrad early yesterday morning, over 100 meters of the railway line is now missing at the scene of the incident, which is completely destroyed. After working all night, most of the tanks have been pulled out, and fire brigade teams continue to cool the metal casings of the others.
No one was injured in the incident, and firefighters were able to quickly locate and extinguish the fire.
“We continued to cool the tanks and guard them during the night while the fuel was drained from them“, Mitko Chakalov, director of the OD PBZN - Haskovo, told Nova TV. Some of the fuel leaked along the tracks, but most of it caught fire and burned.
However, there is no danger of a new fire at the moment, authorities assure.
The regional governor of Haskovo, Stefka Zdravkova, declared a partial state of emergency for the region on Friday. Several settlements were temporarily left without electricity and water, but the situation is now under control.
“The situation is absolutely under control. The larger amount of the oil has burned, there is no danger to people“, Zdravkova specified.
Work is already underway to restore the railway. According to Emil Simeonov, the railway line and train traffic are expected to be fully restored by Tuesday.
According to the train drivers, the section of the railway line where the accident occurred is not well maintained.