site.btaNo Air Pollution Detected After Freight Train Derailment near Simeonovgrad

No air pollution has been detected in the area of the train accident near the village of Pyasachevo, Simeonovgrad Municipality, where a freight train carrying 34 fuel tank cars derailed and eight of the tanks caught fire, Tonka Atanasova, acting Director of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water in Haskovo, told reporters at the scene on Friday.

A team from the Regional Laboratory carried out immediate measurements after the incident, including near the outermost houses in Pyasachevo, and reported no atmospheric contamination, Atanasova said. However, she noted that a significant amount of diesel fuel had leaked into the soil from multiple tank cars.

“It is likely we will be tasked with conducting soil tests to determine the extent of contamination,” Atanasova explained. “If pollution is confirmed, landowners will be instructed not to cultivate or use the affected plots for a certain period of time.”

Earlier reports indicated that nearly 100 metres of railway infrastructure were destroyed in the derailment. There were no casualties in the incident.