Plastics factory gutted in huge Ajman fire

A huge fire broke out in a plastics factory in Ajman's industrial area, sending a huge plume of smoke up in the sky over the emirate on Thursday.

The fire, which broke out at around 10am, caused widespread damage to the warehouse, Colonel Nasser Rashid Al Ziri, Director of media and public relations at Ajman Civil Defence said.

Firefighters brought the flames under control and no injuries were reported, Col. Al Ziri added.

The factory, located in the emirate's new industrial area, was used for the manufacture and storage of plastic materials. A diesel fuel tanker parked next to the factory also went up in smoke, he said.

A rescue team evacuated the factory and nearby buildings to ensure workers' safety, Col. Al Ziri said.

Police blocked all roads leading to the factory, he added, which allowed firefighters and ambulance personnel to reach the area quicker, leading to the fire being brought under control sooner, he added.

Col. Al Ziri said: "Our brave firefighters fought the flames and managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjacent warehouse and factories.”

The cooling operation lasted 15 minutes and the site was handed over to forensic experts to determine the cause.

He appealed to the owners of industrial facilities to properly maintain their in-house fire-fighting systems.