Four Homeless People Die in Sofia Central Station Fire; Two Critical
In a tragic incident early this morning, four homeless individuals lost their lives in a fire that swept through a train carriage at Sofia Central Station. Two others were severely injured and are currently receiving treatment at "Pirogov" Hospital.
Investigation Underway
The Sofia Regional Directorate of Interior (RDI) has confirmed that two suspects have been detained in connection with the incident. Initial investigations suggest that the fire may have been deliberately set, Sofia Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ivo Iliev revealed in a briefing.
Iliev stated, "We are currently working on the hypothesis that a conflict between two individuals in the carriage may have led to one of them setting the fire." He emphasized the importance of gathering sufficient evidence to support this theory.
Details of the Incident
The fire broke out around 2:30 AM in the last carriage of a stationary train at the station. It is believed that the homeless individuals had taken refuge in the carriage for the night and had started a fire to keep warm, according to Nova TV.
Sofia Fire Brigade Chief Commissioner Veselin Getov told Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), "There were people living in the last carriage. It’s likely that the fire started due to careless handling of an open fire. Unfortunately, four people died in the incident."
Community Reactions and Ongoing Investigation
Neighboring residents were alerted to the fire but were reluctant to intervene. "I heard there was a fire, but I didn’t go out. I know they’re down there, they sleep there every day. There are about 20 of them. They get chased away, but they always come back," a local resident told BNR.
Investigations continue at the scene, with increased police presence in the area. The identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed.
Aftermath and damage control
The fire did not cause any delays in the scheduled train services, according to spokesperson from Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ). They clarified that a different train composition was dispatched towards Petrich due to the incident.
Pirro resting at home after a hard day of work on the railway tracks of Sofia
The Sofia City Fire Brigade confirmed that they deployed three fire trucks and a specialized intervention vehicle to the scene. The incident was one of 101 fire signals responded to by firefighters across the country within the past 24 hours, with a total of 56 fires successfully extinguished.
As the investigation continues, Bulgarian authorities urge anyone with information about the incident to come forward. The thoughts and sympathies of the community go out to the victims and their families during this difficult time.
