Demerdzhiev Orders Nationwide Inspections of Ammunition Warehouses After EMKO Explosions

Bulgaria's Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has ordered inspections of ammunition warehouses across the country following Friday evening’s explosions at EMKO.

“The inspection concerns how security at these facilities is supposed to be carried out, rather than the security itself. We are now identifying shortcomings during the inspections. I will personally inform Mr. Gebrev about this. I want to stress again that this does not concern him alone. Joint teams will therefore be established to visit and inspect each of these sites across the country and issue detailed recommendations. The State Agency for National Security (DANS) and the Ministry of Defence are also competent on the matter. We must not simply comply with minimum standards, but take adequate measures to protect these facilities,” Demerdzhiev told reporters.

According to Demerdzhiev, there is no discrepancy in the information released by the Interior Ministry regarding the explosions. His comments came after EMKO owner Emiliyan Gebrev said on Sunday, during the Na Fokus programme, that someone had misled Demerdzhiev into speaking about sabotage and negligence at the plant.

“We have not said that there was no human involvement; we said that we would examine all possible versions. We stressed that there was underestimation of the risks not only at EMKO, but also among all those who operate and guard such warehouses. Such activities are clearly dangerous. Obviously, the situation the world is facing—not only Bulgaria—creates additional sources of increased risk, and security measures must take this into account. It is also important how these extremely dangerous substances and items are stored,” Demerdzhiev told reporters.

He added that the footage from the security cameras had been downloaded and was being reviewed.