The major fire that hit a number of buildings on the left bank of the Danube River in Bratislava in the area of the PKO culture and recreational centre in the early morning hours of Monday, August 19, has been extinguished. Firefighters summoned to the scene of the fire managed to put out the flames at around noon. No injuries to civilians or firefighters have been reported.
“Having completed all the extinguishing, firefighter units are returning to their bases,” said Fire and Rescue Brigade Presidium (HaZZ) spokesperson Silvia Jančovičová for the TASR newswire around noon. The fire broke out shortly before 3:00 in an unused building belonging to PKO. It subsequently spread to an adjacent sports hall and a building of the neighbouring Water-administration Research Institute (VÚVH). The fire brigade has confirmed that the blaze was caused by rubbish inside the abandoned building catching fire. The exact causes of the fire remain subject to an official investigation launched earlier in the day.
The abandoned building at the PKO area was completely destroyed except for its steel frame, while the nearby sports hall was badly damaged, with its roof having collapsed. The affected VÚVH building saw damage to one of its small hydro-technical laboratories, its administrative premises and the building’s roof. TASR quoted Environment Ministry spokesperson Maroš Stano as saying that the statics of the VÚVH building were probably damaged and will have to be inspected, and the damage is still being assessed in rooms that are more difficult to access.
The police have launched a prosecution in the case against an unknown perpetrator for endangering the public.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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