Cooling of the Tankers of the Derailed Train near Pyasachovo Continues Due to Fuel Leak

The tankers of the derailed train near the village of Pyasachovo, which caught fire earlier this morning, continue to be doused.

The fire is currently under control. Around a dozen of the derailed tankers were part of a 34-tanker composition. The very rapid response on site prevented a major tragedy, as the tracks on which the train was located are only about 500 metres from the nearest houses.

The fire caused by the derailed freight train with tankers near Pyasachovo has now been extinguished. At present, there is no danger to people or nearby settlements. No injuries have been reported. There is a large concentration of personnel and equipment at the scene. In addition to the firefighters, the Civil Protection Service is present, and tankers loaded with containers of water are continuously arriving. Work is ongoing, and there is no danger.

There were two drivers in the train composition. Both experienced shock.

“The two drivers are fine, but understandably shaken. One is being examined due to suspected high blood pressure,” said Daniel Nedyalkov, managing director of the transport company.

“Extremely quick action by the firefighters and Civil Protection. In less than two hours, such a major incident, which could have escalated further, was brought under control. This is outstanding professionalism,” commented Grozdan Karadzhov, Minister of Transport and Communications.

“We will determine whether there was any violation or not. At this stage, it is far too early to say, especially before we see what the measuring instruments indicate and establish what exactly happened,” stated Boyko Skrobanski from the Independent Board for the Investigation of Serious Transport Accidents.

Cooling of the tankers continues due to fuel leakage.

“The tankers are full of fuel, and some are damaged and leaking, so we are continuing to cool them down to a safe temperature. We have teams from Yambol, Sliven, and Stara Zagora, so we have sufficient forces and equipment to contain the incident,” said Senior Commissioner Mitko Chakalov, Haskovo Fire Safety and Civil Protection.

“There is no danger to nearby settlements. We have also informed the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW). We are waiting for them to arrive to carry out their measurements. At this moment, there is no risk to the nearby settlement,” commented Stefka Zdravkova, Governor of Haskovo.