Chemical plant fire injures three employees
05 August 2024
An explosion and subsequent fire left three employees injured at a Bulgarian chemical plant on 29 July. The incident happened at the Svilosa sodium chlorate plant in the town of Svishtov in the north of the country.
Representative image: Shutterstock
Local officials said that the incident occurred at around 11:00 local time when workers at the site were loading and unloading sodium chlorate which is highly flammable. Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry said that two employees at the plant suffered minor injuries while an employee of the chemical site’s fire department was also injured. The firefighter suffered cuts to his face from broken glass but did not require hospitalisation.
Chemical company Svilosa said that all employees were promptly evacuated following the explosion and that there was no evidence of continued air pollution after the blaze had been extinguished. The Regional Environment and Water Inspectorate said that it had despatched a mobile laboratory to the scene to check air quality in the surrounding area.
Operations at the plant have been stopped while an investigation has been opened to determine the exact causes behind it.
More information...