Explosive found in pre-fab apartment

Liberec, North Bohemia, March 12 (CTK) - The Czech police yesterday uncovered an unspecified amount of pentrit, a strong explosive, in a prefab house in Velke Hamry, north Bohemia, yesterday, Security Forces General Inspection (GIBS) spokeswoman Radka Sandorova told CTK.

The GIBS rushed into the house to arrest a local resident, a policeman suspected of crime.

Firefighters have evacuated 30 people from the seven-floor house and sealed off its surroundings due to the explosive they found on the fifth floor.

A bus has been prepared to drive other residents away, if any approached the house.

The evacuated people, mainly the elderly residents, found refuge at the Town Hall. "We could not leave them outside, as it is freezing. They have been brought to a heated room and a medical worker stays with them," Mayor Jaroslav Najman told CTK.

According to his information, the residents might return to the house later in the afternoon.

Pentrit (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate or PENT) is a very strong explosive used to make fuses and detonators and small bombs. It is a white crystalline substance. The instructions for its production are available on the Internet.