Minister Naď remembers victims of explosion at Military Repair Company Nováky

To mark the 14th anniversary of a tragic explosion at Military Repair Company Nováky (VOP Nováky), Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď attended a remembrance ceremony for the employees who lost their lives in the blast that ripped through the company's munitions decommissioning facility.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “This one of the most serious industrial accidents in the history of Slovakia, which 14 years ago forever affected several families, will never be forgotten. It is with profound respect that we remember those who, sadly, never made it back home to their close ones. We honour their memory!”

According to Nováky Mayor Dušan Šimka, there have not been so many similar industrial incidents in Slovakia and the one that happened in Nováky was underlined by grief and sorrow. “Life is a huge gift we get with the condition that it is not eternal. What happened here is irreversible. Nevertheless, we vow never to forget those who departed involuntarily, leaving behind their families, friends and colleagues,” he said.

A series of detonations rocked VOP Nováky on 2 March 2007, claiming the lives of eight employees and injuring dozens of others on site at the time. Immediately after the disaster, the MOD adopted extra safety precautions to minimise risks and failures in hazardous work situations. In 2012, VOP Nováky was leased to a private company for a period of 20 years.

One year on from the deadly blast at VOP Nováky's munitions decommissioning facility, the Nováky Disaster Victims Memorial was unveiled in the centre of the town.