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Explosions rock Serb ammunition factory

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-04 05:44

BELGRADE: Four explosions rocked an ammunition factory in western Serbia on Thursday, but there was no information on casualties, a police official said.

Police, firefighters and the military sealed off the area around the Prvi Partizan ammunition factory in the town of Uzice, some 160 km west of the capital Belgrade, said Suzana Vasiljevic, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry.

"Apparently there are people inside, but we have no casualty report now," Vasiljevic said. "The rescue operation is ongoing."

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Prvi Partizan is Serbia's largest ammunition factory. It produces military and hunting ammunition as well as gun powder and explosives.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic was on his way to the site, Vasiljevic said.

Serbian defence industries have stepped up production in past two years, mainly exporting to Iraq, Libya, the United States and Myanmar. The total value of export deals in 2008 exceeded $600 million.

Serbian Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac said last week that Serbia had secured a $100 million export deal for weapons and military equipment to Iraq.