Announcment of the general director of the Petrohemija Pancevo dr.ing. Slobodan Tresac after first attack on Petrohemical complex stated to the world public

It is my duty and obligation to inform the domestic and international public that on 15th April at 22:40 NATO forces heavily bombarded the plants of the Petrochemical Complex in Pancevo which were in regular operation.

Installations and equipment of the Vinyl Chlorid Monomer plant and Ethylene plant were directly hit. Indirectly, heavy and destructive explosions damaged the Chloralkali plant and Polyvinilchlorid plant and buildings inside the complex, as well as a large number of civil houses and flats in the surrounding area.

The fire broke out and huge quantities of toxic matters such as chlorine, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer flowed out. The transformer stations were also heavily damaged and very toxic transformer oil flowed out.

Unfortunately but unavoidably a large number of people were injured and intoxicated. At this moment we do not know the exact number of intoxicated and injuted civilians who were evacuatead.

Due to the power failure and utilities and auxiliary fluids interuption a larage quantity of combustible, explosive and toxic matters remained trapped in the equipment, installation and tanks. It will take a lot of time to drain and evacuate all those matters from the plants before the plants could be considered safe for a wide surrounding area.

The plants have been heavily damaged and cannot be put in operation.

According to all the terms and rules of warefare accepted and followed so far, the plant of chemical process industries of this type have never been military targets and objects of strikes. The range of products of «HIP PETROHEMIJA» DP Pancevo, is of EXCLUSIVELY CIVIL NATURE and bombardement of these plants represents the worst war crime and it reveals GENOCIDAL INTENTIONS of the aggressor. Therefore, we call upon the petrochemical producers, licencors, and engineering houses all over the world, to raise their voice and warn those who give orders for bombing of the danger and catastrophic consequences caused by bombing of this kind of plants.

HIP PETROHEMIJA PANCEVO Dr. Ing. Slobodan Tresac General Director