During the professional holiday celebration for employees of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection in Sofia, Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev commented on the incident involving the explosions at the EMCO warehouses. According to him, there is a clear underestimation of safety measures, not only by the aforementioned company but also by all other parties entrusted with the management and security of such facilities for ammunition and explosives.
The Minister emphasized that the specific nature of the activity and the current international situation require a much more serious approach. "The activity is obviously dangerous, and the situation the world is in, not just Bulgaria, creates sources of heightened risk. Security must be adapted accordingly, including the way these dangerous substances and objects are stored," he stated to the media. Regarding the specific company, EMCO, Demerdzhiev explained that previous Interior Ministry checks had focused on the regulations for organizing security, but the recent inspections following the fire revealed specific lapses in the actual implementation. He added that he intends to personally inform Mr. Gebrev about the findings.
As a preventive measure, large-scale inspections across the country are starting today, with joint teams being formed for this purpose. "It is not just the Ministry of Interior that has jurisdiction in this area; the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the Ministry of Defense do as well, so that the facilities can be checked comprehensively and given instructions on the best possible form of protection," Demerdzhiev further explained.
As for the investigation of the incident itself, the Minister stated that it is too early to point to a specific leading line of inquiry, as active work on the case only began yesterday after the fire was brought under control. "We have done what is necessary to check the traces around the site and are examining all possible versions. It is too early for a leading theory, because active operations only began yesterday after the fire," he concluded.