Civil Defense Teams Struggle to Extinguish Massive Blaze at Plastic Factory

Civil defense teams are still struggling to extinguish a fire that broke out in the GPI plastic factory at the town of Mazraat Yashouh in the Metn region Sunday night.

They are facing difficulties due to the high flammability of the raw materials used in plastic manufacturing and the thickness of the smoke, which has reached as far as Keserouan and Jbeil.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and the civil defense team’s delay in reaching the scene led to the fire spreading to various parts of the factory, reported LBC television Monday.

Residents were forced to evacuate the area due to the smoke and foul smell caused by the burning material, as large sections of the factory, owned by Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud, were destroyed.

Civil defense teams from areas as far as Batroun were called to the scene, reported Voice of Lebanon radio, adding that severity of the fire has decreased.

OTV meanwhile reported that the fire may not be completely extinguished before Monday night because as soon as the blaze is doused, the material catches fire all over again due to their high flammability.

A civil defense official told LBC that the material needs more than 24 hours to cool down, pointing out that the factory may collapse as it may no longer support the heat.

So far, no lives were lost in the operation.

Environment Minister Nazem al-Khoury sent a specialized team to assess the damage caused by the fire.

He also called on all factories to take all necessary precautionary measures to avert similar incidents.