Ammunition depot explodes at EMKO plant in Bulgaria, 300 people evacuated

A fire broke out at a military production and storage complex near the town of Tryavna in Bulgaria, followed by a series of ammunition explosions. The incident occurred shortly before noon, and around 300 workers were evacuated from the plant's grounds. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

According to unofficial information cited by the Bulgarian news outlet Fakti, quoting Tryavna Mayor Dencho Minev, the incident was triggered by a fuel tanker that caught fire while refuelling vehicle tanks. The flames then spread to one of the production workshops, setting off explosions at the ammunition depot.

Fire spreads into nearby forest

Firefighters managed to extinguish the initial blaze in the workshop, but the fire spread into a forested area next to the plant, and efforts to contain it were still underway. Due to deteriorating air quality, authorities advised residents of Tryavna and surrounding areas to keep their windows shut and wear respiratory protection when going outside.

Fakti reports that a full inspection of the site by specialised bomb-disposal and police units will only begin after the mandatory 24-hour period without new detonations has passed.

Plant has a history of suspicious explosions

The incident has drawn particular attention because facilities belonging to EMKO, a company owned by Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev, have exploded several times in the past. While the current incident appears to have been accidental, authorities suspected possible sabotage in previous cases.

Gebrev himself survived a poisoning in 2015 involving a substance resembling the nerve agent Novichok, believed to be of Russian origin. According to the investigative group Bellingcat, he came to the attention of Russian intelligence services likely because his company EMKO was, at the time, the only supplier independent of Moscow capable of providing ammunition for Soviet-made weapons.

Gebrev also stored weapons at warehouses in the Czech village of Vrbětice, where a series of ammunition explosions occurred in October 2014. Czech authorities suspect that officers of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency were behind that explosion.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz