Bulgaria: Controlled ammunition detonations scheduled near EMKO plant

Specialized teams from the Ministry of Defense will conduct controlled detonations of ammunition near the EMKO plant close to the village of Belitsa on Friday, August 28. The operations are scheduled to take place between 10:00 and 14:00 within a 500-meter radius of the facility. The national early warning system, “BG-ALERT”, will be activated to inform the public during the process.

These actions follow an incident on August 10, when an ammunition warehouse at the EMKO plant exploded. While no casualties were reported, a partial state of emergency was declared in the area. The Mayor of Tryavna, Dencho Minev, has extended this state of emergency for an additional 30 days, effective from August 13, meaning restrictions will remain in place until September 13.

Military and civilian experts have been working to clear the site, having already secured 398 decares of the 566 decares of affected forest and agricultural land. To date, 53 unexploded munitions have been located and identified for controlled disposal, along with over 1,000 kg of metal debris from the destroyed warehouse. The Gabrovo District Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating the causes of the initial explosion.