About 20 persons have been injured in an accident at the Melamin chemical plant in Kocevje, Slovenia on Thursday, including five with serious burns, while four persons are missing.

A fire has been put out and and firemen are cooling the site, but the area with the persons considered missing is still inaccessible due to high temperatures, Slovenian media said.

Melamin director Srecko Stefanic said there was no more danger of new explosions and fires, that the cause of the accident had not been established yet, and that it surprised him.

The plant, which makes melamine glues for the paper, construction and chemical industries, has the necessary permits and good safety evaluations.

Kocevje Mayor Vladimir Prebilic told the press the accident would not have big long-term harmful effects on the environment, but that the population was advised to stay home and wear a mask when going outside.

Croatian Civil Protection: No danger for people in Croatia

Croatia’s Civil Protection Directorate said there was no danger for the people in Croatia from the effects of the explosion.

Slovenia’s Ecology Laboratory gauged hazardous substances and established that there is no danger of their spreading, the directorate added.

The Croatian Civil Protection’s operations centre was notified by Slovenia’s Protection and Rescue Department that an explosion occurred at 8.39 am today at the Melamin plant in Kocevje, which is 30 kilometres from the Croatian border.