Two Bosnian citizens and one Macedonian citizen are believed to be among the victims of Thursday’s explosion at the Melamin chemical plant in Kočevje. Their identities will be verified with the help of DNA, police said on Friday. Economy Minister Zrdavko Počivalšek meanwhile visited Malamin to discuss ways of helping it, STA writes.
Among the five dead, two were Bosnia-Herzegovina citizens, while the survivor being treated with severe burns in hospital is believed to be a Macedonian citizen.
Investigators are working with the relatives who reported missing persons to identify the victims. Since three missing persons are foreigners, the police are also working with foreign security services, Valter Zrinski from criminal police at the Ljubljana Police Department told the press on Friday.
Criminal police officers are investigating the accident working hand in hand with forensics and crime scene specialists to establish the cause of the blast. Zrinski said that this was one of the most demanding investigations ever in Slovenia.
Once all facts have been established, a report will be sent to a state prosecutor’s office.
Environmental inspectors inspected the site to find that at least one qualified worker was present where the explosion occurred.
The accident happened when epichlorohydrin, a volatile substance, was transferred in what is believed to have been a wrong on-site cistern causing a strong exothermic chemical reaction
A day after the worst industrial accident in Slovenia’s modern history, Melanin was visited by outgoing Economy Ministry Počivalšek, who said the state had several options to help out.
Under EU rules, the state can help all companies hit by an industrial accident cope with the damage to infrastructure but also regarding the loss of income.
“This can cover up to 100% of the damage,” he said adding aid could come from the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, the SIB Bank, and the Regional Development Fund.
The accident at Melamin, which produces plastic materials, paints, varnishes and other coatings and chemical products, happened at 8:30am on Thursday. The precise cause of the blast remains to be established but it was likely the result of human error.
