Water

All cisterns have been removed from the railroad in Hitrino. This became clear after the briefing of Chief Commissioner Nikolay Nikolov who explained that the operation was conducted like clockwork.

The eighth cistern which was left on Saturday night has been taken out of the village of Hitrino.

Three more cisterns have to be removed on Sunday. This will leave only one cistern which was leaking gas until Saturday.

Prime Minister Borisov expressed hope that residents of the village will be able to return to their homes by Tuesday.

The removal of the dangerous cisterns from the derailed train in Hitrino continues for a fourth consecutive day.

The eighth cistern is expected to be removed on Sunday. It was loaded successfully on Saturday but the operation had to be terminated due to darkness in the evening.

A week after the train accident in Hitrino which killed 7 people, the state of emergency remains in place until the completion of the repair works.

Residents of Hitrino still have no access to their homes but, for certain repair works, volunteers will be allowed in.

The company which owns the derailed train has to remove all dangerous cisterns within 15 days.

The Greek cruise market is bracing for a serious contraction next year, according to figures on cruise ship calls scheduled for Greek ports in 2017.

Up to 80 percent of cruise trips to Turkey have been canceled due to security concerns, a leading sector representative has stated. 

Drivers in mountainous parts of Halkidiki, northern Greece, were advised to use snow chains as temperatures dipped considerably Friday and snow had covered large parts of the region, authorities said.

The General Directorate of Meteorology has announced that it expects snow on Dec. 16 in Istanbul, where temperatures are forecast to be below zero and under seasonal norms.

Education was suspended in schools in 39 provinces across Turkey on Dec. 14 due to heavy snowfall. In Istanbul, where the year’s first snow began, the governor’s office has yet to make any announcement about a suspension

Bulgaria's institutions refused to commit to a deadline for the removal of the dangerous cisterns from Hitrino and letting in local residents.

At a briefing earlier on Wednesday, representatives of the Interior Ministry underlined that the most important thing is to avoid putting people's health and life at risk.