A fatal workplace incident at Arsenal Military Plant 3 in Kazanlak, Bulgaria, occurred due to a malfunction in a machine centrifuge, according to initial findings. Authorities were alerted to the accident at 17:44 with a report of an industrial incident, Senior Commissioner Krasimir Hristov, head of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed.
Deputy District Prosecutor of Stara Zagora, Georgi Nikolov, clarified that the case did not involve an explosion or fire. Instead, he stated, a mechanical breakdown occurred within a centrifuge, which then struck a worker fatally. The investigation remains active, with additional site inspections planned. Prosecutors have ordered expert evaluations and said all necessary procedural steps will be taken to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fatality.
At the time of the accident, three workers were present in the workshop. Only one was harmed - the deceased, a 46-year-old man. The other two individuals were not injured.
The facility in question is used for drying a nitroglycerin-based mixture, which is part of the gunpowder production process. Prosecutor Nikolov noted that all technical documentation for the involved machine will be seized and reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation. Experts will be tasked with analyzing the equipment to determine the precise cause of the mechanical failure.