A Bulgarian court on Wednesday jailed the two drivers of a freight train carrying gas tanks that derailed and exploded in 2016, killing seven people. Shumen regional court handed down sentences of 10 and 15 years for their part in the December 2016 disaster at the northeastern village of Hitrino. The blast and ensuing fire destroyed the railway station and several nearby houses, and as well as the seven people killed, another 29 people were seriously injured. The two train drivers were charged after investigators blamed speeding for the derailment, which caused several of the 20 tanks carrying propylene and propane butane gases to explode. Technical experts showed the train had been travelling at 78 kilometres per hour (49 mph) -- amost twice as much as the 40-km/h limit in that zone, said prosecutors. They had called for the maximum 20-year sentence for both men. Both men pleaded not guilty and they can still appeal their sentences. Bulgaria's railway network is outdated, its materials regularly stolen by thieves, forcing the rail officials to drastically limit train speeds in some areas. Although train accidents happen frequently here, fatalities are rare. ds/jza/jj