On May 4, 2018, a fast train № 8613 composed by 5 passenger coaches, 208 tons, serviced by electric locomotive № 44121.9 leaves Sofia station. The train travels daily on the Train Traffic Schedule along the route Sofia – Plovdiv – Dimitrovgrad – Stara Zagora – Karnobat – Burgas and back. The train left Sofia station at 14:30h without technical defects. Till Druzhba station, the train moves normally without any irregularities detected by both the locomotive and the transport brigades. No Irregularities have been established also by the duty staff of the stations along the route. After passing transit Druzhba station at 21:28 h, while moving along Druzhba - Dolno Ezerovo section, the locomotive brigade senses the smell of a burnt cable insulation. The locomotive motorman looks into the engine room and sees it is filled with a dense black smoke and shuts off the Main Air Circuit Breaker (MACB) of the locomotive. Looking through the side windows, the locomotive brigade sees fire on both sides of locomotive from its cooling air intakes (CAI).
Upon entering Dolno Ezerovo Station on 3rd track, the motorman alerts with "General Anxiety" signal and stops at 21:37h.
The Conductor takes immediate action to evacuate passengers from the train.
The Trainmaster informs 112 about the fire. The locomotive and transport brigades immediately undertake immediately extinguishing of the fire in the locomotive with the available fire extinguishers in the locomotive and coaches.
A RO FS&PP - Burgas mobile Fire Brigade arrives at Dolno Ezerovo Station at 21:55h and the fire is localized and suppressed at 00:50h.
No injured staff and passengers. The fire causes material damages to the electric locomotive № 44121.9.