Fire stopped production of "punto" - unit in Kragujevac-based "Zastava" consumed by fire - production discontinued prior to beginning of December?

Fire that temporarily discontinued production of "punto" broke out in automobile factory "Zastava" at 10.50 AM on November 14th.

There were no victims, but material damage is huge. The fire that was quickly extinguished by firemen consumed a part of the system that transports automobiles from the assembly line to the lacquer shop. In addition, all installations in that part of the factory are destroyed and it is uncertain when the production will be resumed. The Head of the Sector for Emergency Situations within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia, Predrag Marić, said that the fire had also consumed about 200 square meters of roof, nine bodies for "punto" automobiles and electric installations.

According to the President of Independent Trade Union, Zoran Mihajlović, "everything between the assembly line and the lacquer shop is burnt", and damage is such that "it can not be repaired before the New Year".

– According to the eyewitnesses, the fire broke out when the workers of "Goša" were cutting some old equipment and created a spark that fell on the installations. The fire than expanded and caught the tires – says Mihajlović.

Few hourse after the fire broke out, the Minister of Economy, Mlađan Dinkić, arrived in the factory and said that "the first results of the investigation shows that there are indications that human factor caused the fire" because the fire broke out in the place where the workers of "Goša" from Smederevska Palanka were disassembling some old equipment.

– I want to thank to the firemen. They reacted in 40 seconds and managed to save the factory. It is good that there were no victims. We will do our best to start production again as soon as possible. The experts claim that the destroyed conveyor belts can be renewed in two weeks – said Dinkić.

The Director General of "Zastava vozila" Group, Zoran Radojević, said that the transportation system in the assembly unit was damaged, and that task force was formed to estimate the damage and say when it can be repaired.

As we learned from the management of "Zastava", "strict protection measures and rigorous control of all people who do any job in the factory will now be introduced".

The Mayor of Kragujevac, Veroljub Stevanović, said that the damage caused by the fire in the factory was huge.

By the way, the fire broke out in the storage for parts for "punto" automobiles, nearly at the same place where the last fire broke out in "Zastava" factory over 10 years ago.