First two wagons carrying ammonia of train derailed near Pirot removed

The first two out of five wagons carrying ammonia have been removed, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry said. A train carrying ammonia from Bulgaria's Agropolychim plant was derailed in Eastern Serbia on December 26, 2022.

On January 6, the first wagon was withdrawn as scheduled, but while the second one was being removed, the rails gave way and the crane tilted. A 200-tonne crane was sent to right it. The Ministry's press office said this was not an incident but a normal situation.

Some 50 people had symptoms of poisoning and two were killed after the train was derailed. Bulgaria's National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) sent equipment and 11 employees to Serbia to help with lifting the wagons near Pirot.

At present, ammonia is still leaking and the Serbian authorities have suspended all work. Dilyana Doichinova from the Ministry's press office said the NRIC employees would resume work on the remaining three wagons once the situation was under control.

The railway is expected to be back to normal around January 10 or 11.