By Skopjediem
Copyright skopjediem
The Protection and Rescue Directorate (DZS) deployed an Air Canader for intervention over a massive fire that broke out Saturday at a Zero Waste capacity of the “F-Group” company in Trubarevo, 10 kilometres East from Skopje.
The fire caught a storage facility for electronic and plastic waste, resulting with thick black smoke with unpleasant odour spreading over Trubarevo and over greater part of Skopje as well. On this occasion, DZS Director Stojance Angelov, Minister of Interior Pance Toskovski, Minister of Health Azir Aliu and several other governmental officials held a press conference on Saturday night in order to disclose more details about the fire.
“I am convinced that the many recent waste fires that occurred over the past couple of days are a result of a hybrid attack, because it is awfully suspicious how while we try to put out the fire at Drisla landfill, two new fires, once again at waste collection facilities, brake out in one day”, Angelov said.
When asked whether it is true that over the past year 25% of the country’s territory has been affected by fires and burned completely, Angelov disregarded the claim as senseless.
“The claim that 25% of the country burned is stupid, and if the UN measured it and claim it, then it is double stupid. We are a target of hybrid attack, so I expect even more fire in the period to come”, Angelov said.
Interior Minister Toskovski said that citizens of Trubarevo and the surrounding area can request evacuation at the training centre of the Interior Ministry in Idrizovo. He also added that according to official data gathered from terrain, there is no radioactivity in the fire-affected area, and that 400 metres above the fire no air pollution is detected.
Health Minister Azir Aliu informed that the Health Ministry deployed 2,000 masks of the type N95 to the population in Trubarevo, and that accredited institutions have taken samples from the fire-affected areas and will present results on Monday. Environment Minister Izet Mexhiti was not present at the press conference, prompting questions by journalists, and some of them claimed that only couple of hours before he was seen at a party event in Skopje.
The next day, DZS Director Angelov reported that the fire was extinguished, but that smoke still rises from the burned waste. He also added that smoke has been once again detected at the Drisla landfill too, but this ignoration was denied by the landfill management later.
