Fireworks blaze near Sofia: Evacuations and injuries reported
In the Elin Pelin region near the capital of Bulgaria, warehouses containing fireworks are ablaze. Initial reports mention four injured individuals, including two who are seriously wounded. Residents have been issued immediate evacuation orders, and a partial state of emergency is in effect in the region.
The fire broke out around 12:30 PM Eastern Time in Elin Pelin, near Sofia. According to the portal mediapool.bg, three warehouses storing fireworks are on fire. The Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister of Defence have arrived at the scene.
The evacuation of residents is ongoing, with urgent notices sent to them. “Immediate evacuation! Residents of Elin Pelin should evacuate immediately towards Novi Han. The cause is a warehouse fire," the warnings read.
According to 24chasa.bg, dozens of ambulances and fire units have been deployed to the scene. Preliminary reports mention four injured individuals, including two seriously. One man was taken to the hospital with burns covering more than 80 percent of his body.
Authorities report that two more people may still be inside the building.
- I have information that one of the warehouses contained around 2000 kilograms of TNT equivalent. Currently, we do not have data on the quantity of fireworks and finished products. We know the warehouse was quite well-stocked, said Dimitar Kangaldzhiev, the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A partial state of emergency has been declared in Elin Pelin and the Gara Elin Pelin and Novi Han villages. According to one television station, the homes of people living nearby were damaged—broken windows and collapsed ceilings.
As a result of the most powerful explosion in the burning warehouse, a grocery chain, Fantastico warehouse, caught fire at a distance of approximately 600 metres, and it is currently burning. There is a danger that the fire, driven by the wind, may spread to adjacent areas and reach neighbouring villages.
Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev assured that “the situation is under control.” The area is secured, and residents have been evacuated. There is still no information about the two individuals who were thought to have remained in the warehouse.
