Fire engulfs 1,000 m2 plastics factory in Quang Ngai

A massive fire erupted at a 1,000 m2 plastics factory in Mo Cay Commune, Nghia Hanh District, sending a plume of black smoke hundreds of meters into the air. Firefighters battled the blaze through the night.

Around 8 PM on 19/7, residents of Dam Thuy Nam Village noticed flames rising from a plastics factory within the residential area. The factory was locked, and no one was working inside.

A plume of smoke rises hundreds of meters into the air as the plastics factory in Mo Cay Commune burns. Photo: Thach Thao

According to the factory owner, around 6 PM the same day, workers finished their shift, turned off the electricity, locked the doors, and gave the keys to a woman living nearby. About two hours later, she heard a small explosion and saw flames through a window. She quickly opened the door and tried to extinguish the fire with a water hose, but was unsuccessful. Due to the abundance of flammable materials inside, the fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire factory.

The Quang Ngai Provincial Police Fire Prevention and Fighting Police dispatched 4 fire trucks to the scene, later increasing the number to 10 trucks and 70 firefighters. Firefighting efforts were hampered by the factory's large size, the high heat generated by the burning materials, and the enclosed structure of the factory building, which trapped smoke and heat.

Firefighters work to control the blaze. Photo: Thach Thao

By midnight, the fire was still not fully under control. Many sections of the metal roof were red-hot, and the steel frame was warped. Firefighters continued to work on-site, extinguishing the fire and preventing it from spreading to the surrounding residential area.

According to the Mo Cay Commune People's Committee (UBND), the plastics factory was owned by a couple who had returned from Ho Chi Minh City to their hometown to start a business. The factory employs about 5 workers. The cause of the fire is under investigation.