THIS is the dramatic moment a fireworks factory exploded in a huge fireball sending bright sparks flying into the sky.
The horror explosion at the factory near the town of Elin Pelin, Bulgaria, has left workers suffering horror injuries.
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Huge plumes of smoke can be seen pouring out from the structure which sits around 15 miles east of the country’s capital.
Emergency services rushed to the scene to put out the fire at 6.30pm local time on Thursday.
Video captured by the local media showed the factory engulfed in flames and illuminated by the bursting fireworks.
More pyrotechnics can be spotted going off closer to the ground as the fumes rise into the sky.
The massive blast is thought to have been the equivalent of two tonnes of TNT.
Two employees – a man and a woman – sustained third-degree burns and were reportedly sent to the neighbouring Pirogov Emergency Hospital in Sofia.
Another woman is understood to have suffered burns on 85 per cent of her body.
The local authorities had enacted a partial state of disaster, urging residents to evacuate Elin Pelin and the neighbouring Gara Elin Pelin.
Some locals, who refused to leave their homes behind, had to be forcibly removed from the surrounding area by the police.
The country’s acting prime minister, Dimitar Glavchev, paid a visit to the site and reassured that the situation was under control.
Interior Minister Dimitar Kangaldzhiev stressed the need for a wide perimeter after a logistic hub with a large food chain, located 2,600feet from the factory, caught fire from the explosion.
Emergency services were joined by the country’s military to contain the blaze.
At least ten water tankers – six of which are from the military – have been sent in to ensure firemen had enough water.
The Director of Military Police, Brigadier General Ivaylo Sotirov, and Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov have also arrived at the scene in three armoured “SandCat” jeeps.
Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov sent over four investigators to start their inquiry into how the fire started as soon as the explosions stopped and the fire was extinguished.
The site was just inspected three months prior, and no disparities in the security protocols were discovered, according to government officials.
The company told the local press that they maintain a high level of security with a robust CCTV system in place.
However, the investigators suspect that “someone ignited something but it is not clear yet”.
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