Prague, Dec 21 (CTK) – The inhabitants of three villages near the ammunition complex in Vrbetice, south Moravia, where two dumps exploded last year, will receive a compensation of six million crowns, that is some 3000 crowns each, the government decided yesterday and PM Bohuslav Sobotka said on Twitter.
“The government decided yesterday on the compensation for the inhabitants from the surroundings of Vrbetice afflicted by last year´s blast of the ammunition dumps. We will provide a total of six million crowns for the citizens of Vlachovice-Vrbetice, Haluzice and Lipova, that is the villages whose inhabitants had to be evacuated and their lives were affected by security measures,” Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) wrote to CTK.
Two ammunition dumps exploded in the Vrbetice complex on October 16 and December 3, 2014. Both dumps were leased by the Imex Group firm, seated in Ostrava, north Moravia. Two of its employees died in the first blast, which was followed by 355 uncontrolled explosions.
The police are investigating the blasts on suspicion of endangering the public safety.
Five people and two firms have been charged with storing banned explosives in the dumps.
Some 2000 people had to leave their homes during five evacuations. The clean-up of the complex in Vrbetice may last up to several years.
The military materiel will be transported from the dumps by the end of the year. The last lorry with ammunition will leave Vrbetice on Wednesday, with PM Sobotka present on the spot, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.
($1=24.947 crowns)
