The US assistance programme for cleaning up the explosion at the Chelopechene ammunition storage facility, near Sofia, has ended, the US embassy said on March 27 2009.

The programme was launched after explosions at the site in July 3 2008 caused panic and the evacuation of local population. Fortunately, no one was hurt and damages to crops and property were covered by the Defence Ministry. More than 600 houses near Chelopechene were damaged by the blast. Windows were shattered and doors and walls were punctured.

The programme was carried out together with Bulgaria's Defence Ministry. The US state department funded $750 000 for the project. Over the past nine months American explosive experts have found and removed more than 110 000 potentially dangerous pieces of ordinance. US experts had been summoned days after the explosions to provide financial assistance to the Bulgarian military to deal with the mopping up operation in addition to the $750 000 project itself.

On January 7 2009 it was announced that a US team of disposal experts from Dyncorp had arrived in Bulgaria and had started the painstaking process of securing the area and defusing remaining live ammunition discarded in the perimeter around the blast area.

Following the accident, Major Miroslav Mitov, commanding officer at the Chelopechene military base, was charged with overstepping his authority and illegally appropriating large quantities of ammunition stored at the base before selling them on for a profit. He has been charged with illegal deforestation and sale of timber, with damages exceeding 50 000 leva.

On January 20 2009 Sofia military court delayed proceedings against Mitov because of "the alarmingly depressed state of the accused," Dnevnik daily reported on January 20 2009.

In addition to joint military exercises and the provision of equipment and training, the US provides funding each year to help Bulgaria destroy excess weapons and ammunition. Approximately $400 000 has been allocated for this purpose this year, the embassy said.