An explosion in a carriage in the "Nadezhda" carriage depot in Sofia broke about 300 square meters of glass on the northern facade of the repair shop and on the roof structure. The incident occurred on September 21 at around 10:38 a.m., according to security camera recordings. There were no employees in the hall or directly next to the carriage, and there is no information about any injured people.
The footage shows flames and heavy smoke coming out of the disconnected passenger carriage, after which objects fall from its other side. The insurance protocols of "BDZ - Passenger Transport" The incident was described as an “explosion“. According to initial data, its center was in a technical cabinet outside the passenger compartment, which houses the equipment for the central power supply of the wagon.
The wagon was sent for repair
The wagon was taken out of service due to a failure in the central power supply. It last carried passengers on September 17 on the Sofia-Burgas route, and on September 18 it was returned empty to Sofia for repair. On September 19, repair work was carried out, including the replacement of a control module, but the malfunction was not eliminated.
BDZ states that at present no causal relationship has been established between the technical failure and the explosion. “According to the initial assessment of the technical specialists, the design features of the equipment do not suggest the occurrence of an explosion of a similar nature and intensity under normal operating conditions“, the company states. They add that the specific cause is yet to be clarified through expert examinations within the framework of the pre-trial proceedings.
The version of intentional action is also being checked
The incident was reported to 112, after which a police patrol was sent to the scene. According to the Ministry of Interior, the initial inspection did not reveal any evidence of an intentionally placed explosive device and the version of technical failure was considered. An investigation was later opened against an unknown perpetrator, and the materials from the re-inspection were reported to the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office.
The investigators have not yet announced what the analysis of the scene showed. Mining engineer and explosives specialist Ivan Tabov defines what happened as a small explosion, the shock wave of which caused the destruction of the windows. “This is established by specialists. There are always some traces of the explosive substance“, explains Tabov and points out that the samples are examined in a laboratory.
After the incident, “BDZ – Passenger Transport“ ordered a temporary suspension of operation of all wagons from the same series until the causes are clarified. The damaged wagon was taken out into the open in the depot, and the technical cabinet was covered. The final answer as to whether it was an accident, human error or an intentional act must be given by the appointed experts and the pre-trial proceedings.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg