Sleepless night in the area of Elin Pelin station, where warehouses of fireworks and other pyrotechnics company. Two people were accommodated in "Pirogov" with very severe burns, it is believed that there are more people in the warehouses, as of late last night the latest information is about two people, reported BNT.
Emergency teams, the fire department, specialist teams and army equipment were on site all night. Three "Desert Cat" Military Police Jeeps arrived to enter the scene of the blasts.
In the village of Elin Pelin station, rumbles and rumblings continue to be heard from the place of the warehouses. The area continues to be cordoned off, with police and fire teams present. The water carriers continue to load.
It is very likely that the thunder will continue in the coming days, experts say. Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov is expected to arrive at 7:30 a.m.
According to preliminary information, there were pyrotechnics with about 2 tons of TNT equivalent in one of the warehouses. There is no data yet on the quantity of the finished product. An inspection was carried out three months ago and no irregularities were found.
A partial state of emergency has been declared and the evacuation of people from the village of Gara Elin Pelin began last night. Movement in the area is restricted. Trains have been suspended. Investigators from the National Investigation Service and an investigator from the District Investigation Service-Sofia are taking over the investigation by order of the acting chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov. Inspections will begin after the explosions have stopped completely and the fires have been extinguished.
There were explosions all night, but hopefully this will end soon. It must completely burn off what it has as explosives. There are people who are inside, but we don't know more. The intensity of the rumbles has decreased, they are still there, but they are quite rare. This is what Ivaylo Simeonov, mayor of Elin Pelin, told BNT.
"The cloud that is formed by the fire is quite worrying. RIOSV sent a laboratory to check the air quality. There is preliminary information - the air is within the norms for now. However, the specialists will remain in the field for at least a few more days," said Simeonov.
No one was injured in the fire at the logistics center of a large food chain, which occurred as a result of the explosions in the fireworks warehouses near Elin Pelin.
"We express our sympathy to those injured in the incident and we hope that no more people are affected,", the management of the food chain announced.
According to initial data, the fire caused significant material damage, mainly to the newly built part of the warehouse and to the company's vehicle fleet.
"We express our deep gratitude to the teams of the General Directorate “Fire Safety and Protection of the Population”, as well as to all our partners who assisted in extinguishing the fire and worked to prevent its growth,", the management further emphasizes.
Seeking equivalence between TNT and pyrotechnics is absolute nonsense, an explosives expert said.
The danger is inside the warehouses themselves, he added.
"I cannot say whether the great danger is past, as I do not know what is in the stores. But in my opinion, the danger that is hidden is hidden inside the warehouses themselves", explosives expert Ivan Tabov told BNT.
He added that the warehouses were made according to the legal regulation. The warehouse itself, he added, was built to the highest standards and regulations. The only concerns are for the people inside the warehouses.
"Pyrotechnics cannot be set off in groups. There is no danger to the people of Elin Pelin".
The expert indicated that several more hours must pass before the warehouse can be entered and the fire can be extinguished with water.
"A TNT equivalent cannot be used when talking about pyrotechnics. These are substances that are meant to destroy. Pyrotechnics have a completely different meaning. To look for equivalence between TNT and pyrotechnics is absolute nonsense," the explosives expert was categorical.
He did not exclude the possibility of sabotage. He pointed out that only after the passage of 24 hours after the next explosion, the warehouses should be entered.