Hristo Monov was the new chief executive of Bulgaria's state-owned railway carrier BDZ, Transport Minister Petar Moutafchiev said on March 12.

Monov will assume his new duties on March 14, replacing Oleg Petkov, who was sacked along with five more top managers on March 11 after a deadly train fire killed nine people last month, the ministry said in a statement.

The fire on the Sofia-Kardam night train started in a couchette carriage, which had 35 people in it at the time, and then spread to a sleeping coach with 27 people. It lasted about 15 minutes but it was enough for nine people to lose their lives in the flames. Investigators are working on three main possible reasons for the fire: terrorist attack, accident and criminal misconduct. So far no one had assumed any kind of responsibility for the incident.

Monov, aged 50, holds a master's degree in railway engineering from the Sofia Technical University, joining BDZ after graduation in in 1984. Prior to his promotion, he was equipment department chief at BDZ's cargo subsidiary.