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UPDATED: Fireworks warehouse complex near Sofia bursts into flames; urgent evacuation ordered

4
Photo: BTA

A fire broke out in a fireworks warehouse complex between the town of Elin Pelin and the village of Gara Elin Pelin near Sofia, the BTA news agency reported. There was a series of explosions in the warehouses. The alert for the burning warehouses was sent at 6.30pm on Thursday.

An immediate evacuation has been ordered for the residents of the village of Gara Elin Pelin, which is closest to the incident site.  The gas supply has been stopped, as well as the electricity. There is an increased police presence, ambulances and fire brigades in the area, as well as a mobile station to measure the purity of the air.


Two people - a father and his daughter - were seriously injured with third-degree burns and their condition is life-threatening. A partial state of disaster has been declared in the town and surrounding villages. There is an increased police, ambulance and fire brigade presence in the area, as well as a mobile station to measure air quality. 

Speaking to journalists, Interior Ministry Secretary-General Dimitar Kangaldzhiev said that according to preliminary data, there were two tonnes of TNT equivalent in one of the warehouses where the fire broke out. The explosions and fire engulfed six warehouses full of fireworks. Traffic is temporarily restricted in both directions on the III-105 road from Elin Pelin to Elin Pelin railway station. The railway line in the area is also closed to through trains, and there are no changes to flights at Sofia Airport, BTA reported.

Troops with four water carriers from the Mobile Communication Station (MCC) - Gorna Malina and troops with two water carriers from the Negushevo formation of the Logistic Support Command were sent to the scene. A specialised module for industrial accidents is also being prepared by the Land Forces military formation in Musachevo. The formation has five auto spill stations that will be used, the Defence Ministry said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev visited the scene of the fire. He said that the situation was under control and that there was no reason to panic. Glavchev added that an army armoured vehicle had also been sent to penetrate further into the fire area.

On the other hand, caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov, who also visited the scene with Interior Ministry Secretary-General Dimitar Kangaldzhiev, said that the situation was difficult. There is at least one person somewhere in the complex of warehouses. He is the 22-year-old son of the owner, Stoyanov said.
 
An evacuation of the residents of the village of Gara Elin Pelin has begun, the Interior Minister added. There are locals who refuse to abandon their homes, so they are forcibly removed by police teams. 

Underscoring the seriousness of the situation, Stoyanov noted that the logistics base of a large food chain which is located some 700 to 800 metres from the fireworks warehouses, has caught fire after one of the explosions. The natural gas supply network was deliberately cut off, Stoyanov also said. 

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