Sun, Nov 22 2009
Transport Minister Petar Moutafchiev ordered the Bulgarian state railways BDZ to ban smoking in all trains and to strengthen the control over the passengers' luggage, two measures that he said would prevent the repeat of the deadly train fire that left nine people dead last week.
Although there is a standing ban on easily flammable substances in trains, no one is enforcing it, while luggage is rarely being searched, Moutafchiev said, as quoted by Dnevnik daily.
The devastating fire on the Sofia-Kardam train on February 28 was likely caused by some substance catching fire, according to witness accounts, he added.
BDZ is also now discussing a proposal to install cameras on train stations and on railway platforms, while Moutafchief wants BDZ management to develop system for registration and control of the passengers in sleeping carriages, since the identification of bodies after the fire was made more difficult by the absence of proper records.
Better communication between staff was also needed, since the initial investigation results showed that train chief, carriage attendants and other BDZ employees on the train could not reach each other in time to prevent the fire from spreading, Moutafchiev said.
The European Commission is taking Bulgaria to court for delays in providing Sofia with adequate waste disposal facilities.
James Warlick is the spouse of Mary Warlick, director of the office of Russian affairs at the US state department, who has been nominated to serve as ambassador to Serbia
Bulgaria’s Health Ministry announced on November 20 2009 that the flu epidemic declared two weeks earlier is at an end as rates of infection decline. The announcement coincides with reports of two deaths from A (H1N1) flu in Bulgaria.
Acting on allegations by Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria leader Ivan Kostov, prosecutors and Government officials are to probe deals by which Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan acquired various properties.
Prosecutors allege that a deal agreed by the former defence minister caused losses of 12.9 million leva.