STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE VILLAGE OF HITRINO WAS EXTENDED

The district governor of Shoumen, Donka Ivanova, issued an order to extend the state of emergency in the village of Hitrino until all emergency operations and cleanup activities are completed, the press office of the district administration said on 16th of December.

The residents of the village were evacuated on Sunday, 11th of November, after a cargo train carrying polypropylene and propane-butane derailed and one of the tanks exploded leaving 7 people dead, 29 seriously injured and flattened houses and public buildings.

The company which owns the tanks of the derailed train is required within 15 days as of the issuing of the order to transport the tanks to a site, outside the territory of Shoumen district, for the relevant treatment.

From the date of issuing of the order, only members of volunteer organisations will be allowed to the disaster area, under special regime for participation in the emergency and cleanup activities.

According to the order, the activities for provision of food and beverages for the members of the participating teams on site of the disaster area should continue; as well as collecting perishable foods, beverages and other essential products supplied or donated by individuals, legal entities, NGO’s and/or volunteers’ units.

By midday on 16th of December, a third tank had been removed from the site of the explosion in the village of Hitrino.

The removal of the tanks is a highly dangerous process. Before that, they were emptied.

Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova and the Head of the Fire-fighting services Nikolai Nikolov personally inspected the organisation and progress of the operation.

There are non-stop police patrols on the streets of the village to protect the property of the residents.