Blast at fireworks company in Slovenia kills 1, injures 2

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — An explosion at a fireworks company in central Slovenia has killed at least one person and seriously injured two, police said on Friday.

The blast occurred shortly before noon in Vrhinika, a town southwest of Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana. Videos from the scene showed huge amounts of smoke billowing from the site.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known. The explosion at the production area caused a fire that spread to the warehouse at the compound, officials said.

The injured suffered burns and are being treated at a local hospital.

Police and firefighters sealed off the area. They said the blast happened on the premises of the Hamex company.

On its website, Hamex describes itself as a manufacturer of professional fireworks and a designer of pyrotechnic displays.