A massive fire at a chemicals packaging plant in Moerdijk, south of Rotterdam was brought under control shortly after midnight on Thursday morning. The fire broke out in the Chemie-Pack plant around 14.30 on Wednesday, sending enormous clouds of smoke into the air and leading officials to declare a phase four alarm. Chemie-Pack treats and packages chemical products. There had been several explosions and the fire spread to a neighbouring building housing boat propellers.
Dutch officials said no dangerous substances were released during a blaze at a chemical treatment company after authorities warned residents to stay in doors. Having earlier warned residents of the southwestern city of Moerdijk to keep all windows and doors shut, the municipality later announced that the fire posed no danger to local people.
A thick plume of smoke had also reached the city of Dordrecht, about 15 kilometres northwest of Moerdijk. Shipping traffic between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, two of the biggest in Europe, was hit by the fire in the area, but the impact was limited.
Edited by Constanze Schmitz
Fire at chemicals packaging plant
in Moerdijk, south of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- January 6, 2011
- 2490 views
Fire at chemicals packaging plant
