15 PEOPLE MISSING AFTER THE BLAST IN GORNI LOM (updated)

On 2nd of October, the morning after the devastating blast at the explosives factory “Midzhur” in the North-Western Bulgarian village of Gorni Lom, there is no clarity about the fate of workers who had been at the site.

The explosion destroyed two buildings and left a huge crater.

15 people were at the site of the blast in Gorni Lom, said the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Jordan Hristozkov.

There is no risk for the residents of the village, said the Director of the “National Fire Safety and Protection of Population” service, Nikolai Nikolov.

Civil Protection measurements show that there is no release of toxic residues to the air and water.

The explosion happened on the late afternoon on 1st of October. Debris was found more than 600 metres from the site of the explosion.

The blast site was sealed off. Senior officials, ministers, police and emergency services chiefs arrived in the village on the night of 1st of October.

Nikolai Nikolov, Director of the “National Fire Safety and Protection of Population” told reporters that examination of the site revealed no signs of life and that there was little hope that anyone had survived the explosion.

Four thermal imaging cameras were being used to monitor at the site.

The administrative building of the explosives factory in the village of Gorni Lom has been sealed and placed under security, the Prosecutor’s Office announced. The Sofia office of the company which owns the factory has been searched and all documents will be seized. Witnesses are being interviewed. As soon as the engineers confirm it is safe, inspection of the site will begin. Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General personally coordinates the investigation. A second team of investigators from the National investigation Service has been commissioned to the site of the explosion.

The factory was also licensed for the production and processing of ammunition.

An official inspection took place on 10th of September and had concluded that workplace conditions and processes were below the required standards.

This has been the third serious blast at the factory since 2007.

Svetlozar Lazarov, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, said that the inspection in September had found shortcomings in the manufacturing technology and storage of ammunition.