Timeline
At 6:28 am, Sofia residents were awakened by a powerful, deafening explosion so loud it set off car alarms in districts as far away as Lyulin, some 15 km from the blast. Further east there was great panic among residents as the shockwave shattered windows and some trees were blown down. There was another powerful blast at 6:45 am. Explosions continued throughout the day prompting authorities to evacuate the residents of Chelopechene, Chepintsi and Botunets.
A mushroom cloud formed after the first explosion and rose quickly into the morning sky, obscuring the sun.
Smaller explosions occurred after midnight on the morning of July 4.
Read more about this topic: 2008 Chelopechene Explosions