“In a tenement house on Kraszewskiego Street, we have been running a family business for many years (…). In a tragic fire, we lost the fruit of our many years of work” – the owners of a battery regeneration company stated after the tragedy in the center of Poznań. In a statement sent to us, they emphasized that they conducted their business “in accordance with the law and with respect for safety standards”.
The journalists of the program Uwaga! TVN reached an employee of the company located in a tenement house in Poznań, where an explosion and fire occurred, resulting in the death of two firefighters. The man said that the company was involved in battery regeneration. According to his account small fires broke out in the building as often as two or three times a week. He told journalists in detail about the specifics of this business.
Statement from the battery remanufacturing company
The owners of the battery regenerating company Lupo, whose point was located in the burned-down tenement house at 12 Kraszewskiego Street, commented on the matter on Thursday. In a statement sent to us, company representatives emphasized that they were “shocked” by the tragedy.
“These are difficult times for all of us associated with this tragedy. We express our deepest sympathy to all those affected by the fire. Our most sincere condolences go to the families of the firefighters who sacrificed themselves to save the lives, health and property of the residents,” they noted.
“In a tenement house on Kraszewskiego Street, we have been running a family business for many years, which we built with passion and commitment to provide our clients with the highest level of services. In a tragic fire, we lost the fruit of our many years of work,” Lupo's statement continues.
The company's representatives wrote in a statement that “due to a number of speculations that have appeared in the media, we would like to point out that our company has always conducted its business in accordance with the law and with respect for safety standards.” “We appeal to refrain from making unfounded claims and insinuations that make it difficult to reliably explain the causes of this tragic event. Safety, professionalism and high quality of the services we provide have always been our priority,” the statement reads.
The company concluded the letter by declaring “full transparency and cooperation to explain the causes of this tragedy.”
She did not directly comment on the information about regularly recurring fires involving regenerated batteries.
Tenement house fire in Poznań
A fire and explosion in a tenement house at ul. Kraszewskiego 12 in Poznań occurred on the night from Saturday to Sunday. Emergency services were called to a fire in the basement. Residents began evacuating before the emergency services arrived. Five minutes after the call, firefighters were already on the scene. While searching the basement for the source of the fire, two explosions occurred, after which the fire quickly spread.
Two firefighters who were conducting reconnaissance in the basement were killed. Eleven firefighters and three civilians were injured. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Wiesław Leśniakiewicz said that “the force of the explosion was so great that it ripped off the helmets of the firefighters' heads”. At the peak of the firefighting operation, about 100 firefighters and about 30 vehicles were working on the site.
The cause of the fire and explosion is still unknown.
Main image source: ATTENTION TVN