This is the dramatic moment a Bulgarian fireworks factory was engulfed in a massive fireball that forced local police to evacuate the surrounding area.
Emergency services were today called to put out the explosion at the factory, near the town of Elin Pelin which sits around 15 miles east of the country’s capital, at around 6:30pm local time.
Video footage captured by local media shows a massive plume of smoking rising through the air as bright lights caused by the fireworks illuminate it.
As the smoke rises, more fireworks can be seen going off closer to the ground. Local media reported that smoke poured out of the structure for more than two hours after the initial blast, which is estimated to have been equivalent to two tonnes of TNT.
Two employees, one man and one woman, were reportedly severely injured and have since been transferred to the nearby Pirogov Emergency Hospital in Sofia suffered third-degree burns.
The woman is reported to have suffered burns on 85% of her body’s surface.
While local officials have declared a partial state of disaster, the country’s interim prime minister Dimitar Glavchev, who reportedly visited the scene, attempted to assuage worries by claiming the situation was under control.
Emphasising the need for a wide perimeter, interior minister Dimitar Kangaldzhiev said that a logistics hub of a large food chain that was 7-800 metres (2,300-2,600ft) away from the factory caught fire following the explosion
While police have evacuated Elin Pelin, and nearby Gara Elin Pelin, they were forced to remove some locals who refused to leave their homes behind.
Emergency services are working with the country’s military to extinguish the blaze.
At least 10 water tankers have been called in to provide enough water for firefighters, with six coming from the military.
The army has also sent in three armoured ‘SandCat’ jeeps, carrying Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, as well as the Director of Military Police Brigadier General Ivaylo Sotirov.
The investigation into how the blaze started has begun, with acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov sending over four investigators to begin their inspection once the explosions die down and the fire is put out.
It was revealed that the site was inspected just three months ago by government officials, who found no discrepancies in its security measures.
The company told local media that they have a high level of security, as well as a robust CCTV system.
Despite this, Stoyanov indicated that investigators have assumed that ‘someone ignited something, but it is not clear yet.’