Around 30,000 leva spontaneously combusted and burned in the cash register of a central bank branch in Gorna Oryahovitsa, NOVA learned. 170,000 leva, which were also in the vault, survived the flames.
The incident occurred in the late afternoon of Tuesday. An elderly man decided to deposit savings of about 4,000 leva into his account so that his money could be automatically converted into euros after the New Year.
It turned out that the man had hidden his money in a wardrobe, where there were also clothes sprinkled with mothballs to prevent moths. When the banknotes were brought in, they had crystals of the repellent on them, which is highly toxic and easily flammable when exposed to heat.
The banknotes went through the counting machine and most likely the mothballs rose into the air and ended up in the air conditioner. From there, a spark flew into the cash register, but it was not noticed by the bank employees and the money in the vault began to smolder. Smoke also appeared and after the cash register was opened and oxygen entered it, the fire broke out.
About 1/6 of the total amount in the cash register, which was nearly 200,000 leva, was burned. No employees were injured. The flames were extinguished by firefighters, and the money is insured. The amount of the man who brought in the four thousand leva and mothballs was transferred to his account.