THICK SMOKE SPREADS FROM ROOF OF SPECIAL COURT IN BELGRADE: Everyone has been evacuated from the building!

Photo collage: Nikola Andjic

An incident took place this morning in the building of the Special Court in Ustanicka Street in Belgrade, when, for as yet undetermined reasons, thick smoke appeared in the area of the roof structure.

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All employees of the court, as well as of the Special Prosecutor's Office, were urgently evacuated from the building.

Firefighters received the report around 08:30 after which a number of crews were dispatched to the scene. Although initial information indicated there was a large fire, it was determined that there were no open flames, but that thick smoke was spreading from the roof and had started to enter the rooms.

Building evacuated in record time

Immediately after the alarm was activated, a security protocol was implemented. Security guards led all employees, judges and others who happened to be in the court at that time to a plateau in front of the building. According to information from the scene, nobody was injured, while ambulances were present as a precaution.

Firefighters searching the roof

Firefighters were this morning on the roof of the building and conducting a detailed inspection of the structure in order to locate the source of the smoke and prevent a fire. It is suspected that the smoke appeared due to a malfunction in electrical installations or the ventilation system.

Traffic and court's work

Traffic is slowed down in Ustanicka Street, in the direction of Konjarnik, because of the presence of fire trucks, but has not completely stopped.

The work of the court and the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime is currently suspended. The authorities' assessment of when the building will be safe for the employees to return is awaited.

The investigation will be carried out after any danger of a fire outbreak has been ruled out.

MUP makes urgent announcement

Members of the Department for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) have successfully localized a fire that broke out this morning in the building of the Special Court, the MUP announced.

Nobody was injured during the incident.

The fire was reported at 08:21 and members of the firefighting and rescue units arrived at the scene four minutes later. It was determined that the smoke appeared on the last floor of the building, where several offices were engulfed in smoke, after which the intervention started immediately.

A total of 35 firefighters-rescuers with 11 vehicles were deployed.

The situation has been brought under control, and firefighters continue to work on airing the premises and controlling the ceiling and the roof of the building.

(Telegraf.rs)