The fire in the Sofia-Kardam train, which left nine Bulgarians dead in February, was caused by a "considerable increase in the temperature of the heating radiators and passenger bags impeding the heat circulation".

The conclusion comes from the official firefighting and technical experts' report published Tuesday on the website of the Pleven District Prosecutor's Office.

The report confirms the testimonies of witnesses that the fire started in the sixth compartment of the sleeping car. It states that at least three bags were placed on the floor of the compartment touching the protective grille of the heating system.

The fire is believed to have started as a result of a considerable increase of the heating system temperature above the allowed 23 degrees Celsius and because the bags blocked the heat circulation.

The report does not exclude the possibility of a broken vial of perfume or deodorant, whose contents of flammable gases may have leaked out.

According to the witnesses' testimonies, the passengers' clothes were hung on the window touching the bags. This "curtain" served to retain the flammable gases.

At that moment, the heated objects in the compartment melted, leaked down, and ignited, which left to the ignition of the flammable gases.

After that, the report states, the bags, clothes, and curtain, which were already very heated, caught fire.

This development is confirmed by the witnesses who state that the first flames were noticed in the zone of the bags under the window, on the hanging clothes, and on the compartment curtain.

It also explains the specific fire traces on the coat of one of the witnesses, who traveled in the sixth compartment of the sleeping car. This coat is the only surviving material evidence from this compartment.

The experts' report concludes that "this mechanism of starting, developing, and spreading of fire is the most likely one as it unites in the most credible and provable way the data from the witnesses' testimonies, the performed inspections, the available material evidence, and the train documentation".

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