The speed at which the machine stops in the last carriage is of the order of 15-22 km/h. The accident happened after the driver felt sick and failed to stop the shunting machine at a safe distance from the train that was supposed to leave for Plovdiv. This was stated by the Acting Minister of Transport, Georgi Gvozdeikov, during a briefing after the serious railway accident at the Central Station in Sofia, in which a locomotive and a train collided and people were injured.
He was adamant that there was absolutely no frontal impact.
„The information we have from the Ministry of Health is that six persons were admitted to the hospital with minor injuries, without serious injuries. The casualties were from the shunting brigade, not the passenger train. The emergency teams arrived on time“, he specified.
„This incident escaped with only minor injuries. The fault lies entirely with the driver who performed the maneuver, said Gvozdeikov. The incident that happened today has nothing to do with the infrastructure, emphasized the Minister of Transport.