Transport Minister Peter Moutafchiev has reported to Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev the findings of an inspections in the railway transport system, the government's press service announced.

This move came in the wake of a fire on the Sofia-Kardam train, in which nine people died on February 28. Moutafchiev said the report highlights omissions and irregularities, which suggested that the BDZ management did not exercise timely control.

As of March 12, Oleg Petkov, CEO of the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) is dismissed. The following senior managers will also be dismissed due to flaws in their performance: Dimiter Petkov, director of Passenger Carriage, and deputy directors Nikolai Nikolov and Georgi Ivanov; Ivan Lalov, head of the BDZ Safety and Control Directorate; and Hristo Ivanov, head of the Passenger Carriage Division – Sofia.

Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev rejected the resignation of Transport Minister Moutafchiev. The PM firmly supports the opinion that the actions of Transport Minister Moutafchiev during the tragic incident have been adequate and the measures he took for increasing control and safety of passenger transportation in railways have been professional and responsible.

Prime Minister Stanishev recommended that Minister Moutafchiev asks the European Railway Agency for help in investigation of accidents.