Czech paper mill burns down, one seriously injured

A paper mill with 100 employees burned down on Sunday in Zidlochovice near Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, local fire department said.

The estimated damage is about 40 to 50 million crowns (1.6 to 2 million U.S. dollars), said South Moravian firefighters spokeswoman Pavla Prazakova.

The fire was extinguished around 16:00 local time on Sunday, she said.

According to Prazakova, the fire might be caused by a heating gun. The 25-year old worker who worked with the heating gun was seriously injured and helicoptered to the hospital.

Kropackova said the young man was in serious condition and he suffered burns to his face and hands.

The police will investigate if all the safety rules were complied with. Endit