VILNIUS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Medininkai border checkpoint has reopened to traffic from Lithuania to Belarus, but remains closed to traffic in the opposite direction after an overnight fire in the post's hangar, the Baltic News Services reported Thursday.

"The passage of vehicles and individuals departing from Lithuania towards Belarus through the Medininkai checkpoint has just been resumed," State Border Guard Service (SBGS) of Lithuania was quoted as saying at 9:35 a.m. local time (0635 GMT) Thursday.

The service said traffic in the opposite direction remained suspended, with no vehicles or individuals allowed to cross from Belarus into Lithuania.

Firefighters were dispatched to the border crossing, and the ambulance service was alerted after the fire in the brick building was reported to the Emergency Response Centre at around 2:40 a.m. local time (2340 GMT).

The Fire and Rescue Department told local news agency BNS earlier that the blaze was put out at around 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), with the cause being investigated and no injuries reported.

According to the Police Department, a Porsche Cayenne car caught fire during an inspection. The blaze then spread to the hangar and the administrative part of the building.

The extent of the damage is being assessed.

Only two of Lithuania's six border checkpoints with Belarus remain open -- at Medininkai and Salcininkai -- following the closure of the Lavoriskes and Raigardas checkpoints on March 1 and of the Sumskas and Tverecius crossings last summer. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)