Measures have been taken to evacuate people from the areas near the fire that broke out after the explosions at the “EMKO“ warehouse near Tryavna. This was announced to journalists by the mayor of Tryavna municipality Dencho Minev, quoted by BTA.
All deputy mayors in the affected area have been activated and the people who have a permanent address there have been identified. Measures have been taken to take them to a safe place, the mayor said. According to Minev, in some places people refused to leave, but with the assistance of the deputy mayors they were evacuated.
Currently, the fire brigade teams are acting according to plan and localizing the fire that occurred as a result of the incident at the plant. The voluntary formation of the Municipality of Tryavna has also been activated, which is assisting the firefighters after receiving instructions.
The head of the Regional Service “Fire Safety and Population Protection“ in Tryavna and leaders of the fire brigades, who know the area and together with local people are taking action to localize the fire, are on the ground, Minev explained. He pointed out that the area around the site is sparsely populated, which limits the risk to a large number of people. All residents near the fire have been warned and the institutions are constantly monitoring the development of the situation.
„With the cooperation of everyone - the local authorities and the central authorities, the state, we are doing what is necessary to keep these people safe and we will continue to do so until the danger passes“, said the mayor.
According to him, the terrain is difficult to access, which makes the work of the teams difficult, but the necessary organization has been created. The fire is being monitored constantly and at the moment there is no cause for concern, assured Minev.
Regarding air quality, the mayor of Tryavna announced that the fire department had carried out measurements in Tryavna and Plachkovtsi, where no deviations from the norms were found. A team from the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Veliko Tarnovo is traveling to Plachkovtsi, where signals were received from local residents. According to the mayor, no toxic materials have been found that pose a danger to the population. He called on people to remain calm, assuring that the institutions are on site and the necessary measures have been taken.
At the moment, there is no data on people seeking medical help in connection with the incident. The local hospital and the Emergency Department have been informed and are ready to provide assistance if necessary, he said.
Minev specified that a building in the area of Ruevite Kashti, on the land of Stanchov Han, was affected. There are no permanent residents there. Despite the tourist season and the presence of visitors in the area, the deputy mayors have taken the necessary actions for their safety, Minev also assured.
BTA recalls that the fire in an ammunition warehouse of “EMKO“ OOD near the village of Belitsa, Tryavna municipality, occurred on August 10, followed by explosions in some of the warehouses.
Initially, a fire in a truck was reported, followed by explosions. The area was cordoned off, the BG-ALERT system was activated, and preventive measures were taken to evacuate the population near the site.
There were no casualties or injuries. After the explosions, a forest fire broke out, which spread outside the area of the enterprise. “EMKO“ stated that they ruled out human error as the cause of the incident. Later, the Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev announced that at the moment there is no evidence of external intervention. The District Prosecutor's Office - Gabrovo is leading the pre-trial proceedings to clarify the causes of the fire and the extent of the damage.