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Entrance to the Arsenal armaments factory in Bulgaria
Photo: Google Street View
Three dead and at least one seriously injured woman - this is the provisional balance sheet of an accident in the largest Bulgarian armaments factory, Arsenal.
According to media reports, there was a strong explosion on the site in the city of Kazanlak on Tuesday.
According to information from the Bulgarian state radio, a dark cloud of smoke formed temporarily over the accident site.
'There are victims.
There is a high probability that three people died," the state news agency BTA quoted the plant manager, Nikolai Ibushev, as saying.
The site has not yet been released.
"The number of injured still has to be clarified," Ibushev continued.
Lax handling of explosives?
It is still unclear what could have caused the explosion.
Local media, citing a senior police officer, reported that improper handling of explosive materials at the plant was the most likely cause.
In Bulgarian armaments factories and ammunition depots there are always accidents, some with fatalities.
Founded in 1878, Arsenal designs, manufactures and sells a wide range of weapons, including small caliber and hunting weapons, as well as anti-aircraft systems, rocket launchers and machine guns.
According to the company website, ammunition and pyrotechnics are also offered.
Modernization and innovation in the weapons sector are the top priority, they say.
The authorities are now investigating the course of the accident and the possible causes.
ala/dpa