BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FALLS DOWN IN SOFIA’S CENTER

Focus News
Aug 19 2008
Bulgaria

Sofia. There had been a terrible explosion at about 14.30 at the
region of the former Military Museum, Petko Petkov, witness of the
accident told FOCUS News Agency. He had send pictures of the fallen
scaffolding. His liwe had called 112 immediately.

Petkov said that the windows of the building, which replaces the
military museum, were put yesterday. This is an Armenian object and
Ministry of Defense will probably use it.

There had been two men at the scaffolding at the region of the
former Military Historical Museum when it fell down. One of them hade
been taken to Pirogov hospital. According to the initial diagnoses
the 44-year- old man, named St.M. was that he had wound and broken
coxofemoral joint. The other one had not been injured, chief inspector
at National Service "Fire Safety and Population Protection" Dimitar
Ivanov said. The reason for the accident hasn’t been known. The owner
of the object has been waiting at the place of the incident.

The police and the fire brigade have been stepped up in the area. The
traffic along "Knyaz Boris I" has been closed off because even the
slightest vibration can demolish the rest of the scaffolding. It
had smashed at about ten cars, which were parked at the region of
the building.

A human mistake was the reason for the falling of the scaffolding
at the building of the "National Armenian Complex," the owner of the
Hufu Company Dimitar Atanasov said. According to him the incident had
happen during the dismantling of the scaffolding. One of company’s
workers had been injured. Hufu is a big company, specialized in the
work with scaffoldings. The worker hadn’t been injured seriously and
probably the company will pay for him treatment.

The "Hu- Fu" building company has been the chief executer of the
National Armenian Complex construction, where there had been an
explosion on Tuesday afternoon and one of the workers had been injured,
Ministry of Defense press center reports.

The company had been chosen in 2004 by a public procurement under the
Public Procurement Act. Ministry of Defense press center said that
according to item 14 from the agreement signed between the executors
"Hu-Fu" company and the contradicting authority- the former Military
Clubs and Information Executive Agency the "Executor takes all the
responsibility for the safety of all kinds of works and activities
at the object, for the safety of the workers and the observing of
the safety rules and guidance of the work."

The owner of the scaffolding, from which the worker at the national
Armenian Complex object had fallen, is the Black Pearl Company but it
had been let out. Company’s engagement is to assemble and dismantle
the scaffolding, person in charge of the technical sector in the
company Dani Dundov said. According to him the scaffolding had been
assembled at this object at about a year ago. They haven’t received
any information for it’s dismantling. He added that no matter who is
the owner of the scaffolding the company, which had taken it for rent,
takes the responsibility for its proper use.

According to Dundov the probable reason for the explosion is the
removing of installation elements but he added that this is only
his theory.