A fire broke out at the Christmas market held in Bratislava’s Main Square on November 28. Apart from the food stall, the fire spread and damaged the nearby historical building, where the popular Roland Restaurant Café occupies the ground floor.
The whole square and the neighbouring buildings had to be evacuated, said Zuzana Farkasová, spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Corps Presidium (HaZZ), as reported by the Sme daily.
One person injured
The fire started in the afternoon, after a gas bomb in the stall selling lokše, the traditional potato pancakes, bust into flames, the Nový Čas daily reported.
The amateur videos suggest that the fire started in the kitchen and when it reached the textile roof, the whole stall caught on fire. At the time, the nearby café was also in flames. The fire gradually reached the second floor, Sme wrote.
About 25 firefighters fought and later extinguished the fire. The owner of the building calculated the damage at more than €200,000, according to Sme.
“One person was injured, got burnt on the face and hands, but is now in the care of medical workers,” reads the HaZZ’s website.
No other injured people were found, HaZZ added.
Experts will examine the scene to determine the exact cause of the fire, Sme wrote.
Markets expected to reopen on November 29
The city of Bratislava, meanwhile, issued a statement, claiming that the stall was not part of the capital’s Christmas markets.
“The stall’s owners didn’t sign any rental agreement with the city, nor did they ask the capital permission for taking the public space,” Bratislava’s spokesperson Zuzana Onufer said.
The fire was reported by local police officers, who also contacted firefighters. Before their arrival, the local police secured the place and navigated people to a safe distance, Onufer added.
The markets on the Main and Františkánske Squares will remain closed, but they are expected to open again on November 29, Onufer said.
