The head of the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs: Two died, six were injured in the accident between two freight trains

Two people died and six others were injured in the accident between two freight trains near Sofia. This was told to journalists by the director of the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR), Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, BTA reported.

According to him, the driver of one of the trains and a BDZ employee died. There are six more injured people for whom we still do not have specific data on their condition, but two of the people are in a very serious condition, explained Chief Commissioner Nikolov.

The trains were moving on the same track, most likely due to an error made in the organization of the traffic, said Chief Commissioner Nikolov. When asked who directed the trains to one track, he replied: "I assume that the responsible persons at BDZ, I have no information at the moment". According to him, one train was transporting ferrous metals, and the other - furniture.

There are no people who are being sought. According to our preliminary information, we should have found eight people, the search activities have ended. A fire broke out in one of the locomotives, but it has been extinguished, said Chief Commissioner Nikolov. There are no smoldering elements, the scene of the incident has been secured in a wide perimeter. An investigator from the Sofia Investigation Service has also arrived, who will carry out investigative actions, added the director of the SDVR.

The incident occurred at around 4:00 p.m. between the Svetovrachene and Kremikovtzi stations. The acting Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova proposed to Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev to immediately dismiss the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications with responsibility for railway transport Biser Minchev due to today's tragic incident, in which two freight trains collided, the press center of the ministry announced. The resignations of the General Director of the National Company "Railway Infrastructure" Stoyan Stoyanov and the Manager of "BDZ-Freight Transport" EAD Hristian Krastev have also been requested, the ministry said.

Five firefighting teams, ambulances and police have been sent to the scene of the incident, the Ministry of Internal Affairs told BTA. According to data from the General Directorate of "Fire Safety and Protection of the Population" a diesel and an electric locomotive collided. Three fire engines and two rescue teams were sent.

The National Company “Railway Infrastructure“ specified for BTA that the trains belonged to "BDZ-Freight Transport" and the private carrier "PIMK". The train of the national railway carrier was loaded with scrap for Serbia, and the private company - with container cargo.