Bulgaria explosives factory blast kills 15
A blast at an explosives factory north of the Bulgarian capital Sofia has killed 15 people, prompting the government to declare Friday a day of national mourning, the BBC reported.
Thirteen men and two women were killed, and three other women employees hurt, at the factory near Gorni Lom.
"The blast was so powerful that it left craters," civil defence force director Nikolay Nikolov said.
He said the cause of the explosion was probably "human error."
With the country holding a general election on Sunday, one leading politician said his party was muting its campaign as a sign of respect.
Former Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, whose Gerb party is tipped to win against the outgoing Socialists, told Bulgarian TV station 24 Hours that concerts and other events would be called off.
The explosion occurred at around 17:00 (14:00 GMT) on Wednesday with a big secondary blast reported at 21:45.