Fire in factory, one reported dead

The fire at the Viskoza factory in Loznica, western Serbia, is still raging, and flammable material is believed to be located nearby. MUP says that one person has died, but that the fire is now under control. Fire in factory, one reported dead B92 understands that the blaze broke out just after 09:00 CET in two parts of the factory, before spreading to another nearby fibre factory. MUP spokesman Predrag Maric said that one person had died in the blaze. Five employees were in the affected parts of the factory when the blaze broke out. Four have been accounted for, while the fifth man is believed to have died. “There was a group of workers, but we still have no reliable information on one of them, whether he left work in the meantime or is, unfortunately, still inside the area that is engulfed in fire. No one has been able to verify or deny this as yet,” Loznica Mayor Vidoje Petrovic said earlier. “In any case, intensive measures are being taken to localize and put out the fire. We are trying to make sure that the fire does not spread and endanger other parts of Viskoza because the chemical industry is very sensitive,” Petrovic said. According to the Environmental and Spatial Planning Ministry, there are large quantities of flammable material located near the area where the fire broke out. The firefighting operation is being hampered by high winds, and according to local reports, the fire has spread to plastic fittings and some of the building’s insulation. “According to the information we have currently, there are no victims and no danger to nearby communities,” said Predrag Maric from MUP Search and Rescue,. “The fire is very strong and I expect two MUP helicopters to help in the efforts soon, because of the lack of access to certain areas,” Maric said. Officials from the state environmental inspectorate are also at the scene along with firefighters. Deputy Environmental and Spatial Planning Minister Ljiljana Stanojevic, who is also at the scene, told the Beta news agency that the fire had not spread to flammable substances in the factory, and that officials were doing all they could to keep it that way. There is still no information as to the cause of the fire. The scenes this morning (FoNet)

Fire in factory, one reported dead

B92 understands that the blaze broke out just after 09:00 CET in two parts of the factory, before spreading to another nearby fibre factory.

MUP spokesman Predrag Marić said that one person had died in the blaze.

Five employees were in the affected parts of the factory when the blaze broke out. Four have been accounted for, while the fifth man is believed to have died.

“There was a group of workers, but we still have no reliable information on one of them, whether he left work in the meantime or is, unfortunately, still inside the area that is engulfed in fire. No one has been able to verify or deny this as yet,” Loznica Mayor Vidoje Petrović said earlier.

“In any case, intensive measures are being taken to localize and put out the fire. We are trying to make sure that the fire does not spread and endanger other parts of Viskoza because the chemical industry is very sensitive,” Petrović said.

According to the Environmental and Spatial Planning Ministry, there are large quantities of flammable material located near the area where the fire broke out.

The firefighting operation is being hampered by high winds, and according to local reports, the fire has spread to plastic fittings and some of the building’s insulation.

“According to the information we have currently, there are no victims and no danger to nearby communities,” said Predrag Marić from MUP Search and Rescue,.

“The fire is very strong and I expect two MUP helicopters to help in the efforts soon, because of the lack of access to certain areas,” Marić said.

Officials from the state environmental inspectorate are also at the scene along with firefighters.

Deputy Environmental and Spatial Planning Minister Ljiljana Stanojević, who is also at the scene, told the Beta news agency that the fire had not spread to flammable substances in the factory, and that officials were doing all they could to keep it that way.

There is still no information as to the cause of the fire.