Appellant in Bulgarian Train Fire Case Requests New Expertise

Nine people died after two cars of the night train going from Sofia to the northeastern town of Kardam burst into flames minutes after midnight. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

A new fire and technical expertise was requested Thursday in the Court of Appeals in the Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo for the case of the tragedy in the Sofia-Kardam night train.

Nine people died and nine more were seriously injured after flames swept through two cars of a night train, traveling from Bulgaria's capital city of Sofia to the northern town of Kardam, most like after an electrical short circuit, on the night of February 28 2008.

The case was brought to the Court of Appeals in Veliko Tarnovo after protests and appeals against the ruling from May 2009 of the Pleven District Court.

The new expertise was requested by Ivanka Kostadinova, the director of the train, who was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment by the Pleven District Court.

According to her, so far the real cause of the fire and specific blame have not been clarified.

The Pleven District Court also ordered 12 years imprisonment for the train conductor Georgi Georgiev and acquitted the Deputy Head of the Bulgarian State Railways, Georgi Ivanov. Compensations of BGN 100,000 were ordered to be paid to the victims' relatives.

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