site.btaDefence Company EMCO Rules Out Human Error in Ammunition Plant Warehouse Fire

Human error can be ruled out in a fire at EMCO Ltd.’s ammunition depot near Belitsa, the Bulgarian arms manufacturer said on Monday. In a message to the media, EMCO said the incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday at a storage facility near Tryavna.

No one was injured, no forest areas or third-party property were affected, and there was no environmental pollution, EMCO said. The cause of the incident is being investigated jointly with the relevant authorities.

EMCO also recalled similar incidents at its storage facilities in 2011, 2022 and 2023. It said other defence manufacturers had experienced similar incidents over the previous 15 years, including VMZ Sopot in spring 2015. Investigations into those incidents remain stalled despite the company’s repeated calls for results, EMCO added.

Tryavna Mayor Dencho Minev said earlier on Monday that no one was killed or injured in the explosion. He said the warehouse contained no materials that posed a toxic hazard or threatened public health. Citing the company management, Minev added that the incident posed no risk of radiation or serious toxic contamination.