Alert in Bulgaria after an explosion caused a fire at an EMCO weapons depot

An explosion caused a fire overnight at an arms depot near the village of Tsareva Livada, in central Bulgaria. No casualties were reported, but the flames spread between several depots at the base, and the fire lit up the night sky.

Kristina Sidorova, governor of the Gabrovo region, said that the fire was spreading from one depot to another. According to the local press, the facility is operated by the private defense company EMCO, headed by arms dealer Emilian Gebrev. The authorities and the company did not immediately provide details about the cause of the explosion.

The incident comes a few weeks after another explosion occurred, on August 10, at an EMCO facility. The company has also been targeted by fires and explosions, including at a factory in Karnobat, where ammunition intended for Ukraine was stored.