The special plane sent by the Bulgarian government to bring home from Iran a comatose Bulgarian sailor has landed in Sofia.

The plane brought home the sailor Panko Todorov, who has been hospitalized in Iran since the beginning of June.

Todorov was serving on a Cypriot-owned ship sailing under Panamanian flag when he felt sick. Shortly after his hospitalization in Iran, he was already in a coma.

On Friday, the new Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, decided to send a special plane to bring the sick sailor back to Bulgaria.

Todorov was conscious when he arrived in Sofia. He has been diagnosed with a brain vessel malfunction.

His treatment so far and the flight to bring him to Bulgaria cost about EUR 27 000. Even though Todorov has insurance, his family has not received anything from the company that hired him.

The costs of his treatment will be covered by the Bulgarian state, which is then going to check the situation with his insurance expecting to be paid the respective amount of money by the insurer, Bulgaria's Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev.

Nanev revealed that the Bulgarian state had certain difficulties with the Iranian authorities over Todorov's repatriation due to the fact that he had no ID with him when he was hospitalized in Iran.