Flames and black smoke billowed hundreds of metres into the air following a fire at a recycling plant on the outskirts of Derry yesterday. Just over 40 fire officers fought the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control.
The fire at the Peak Environmental Re-Cycling Centre at Clooney Road, about five miles from Derry, started just before midday. Initial efforts to fight the blaze were hampered by exploding gas cylinders. Staff at the centre ran to safety when the fire broke out.
Six loud explosions were heard, believed to have been caused by the exploding gas cylinders, as the fire officers fought the inferno. Police officers sealed off several nearby roads to motorists and advised local residents to close their windows because of fears of pollution.
A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Fire And Rescue Service said an investigation would be carried out to attempt to establish the cause of the fire.
"Firefighters were met with a fully developed fire when they arrived at the scene. Several buildings were on fire. These buildings contained large quantities of plastic, cardboard and diesel as well as gas cylinders. Over forty firefighters were involved in the difficult operation to contain the fire.
"People in nearby homes and in nearby business premises were advised to keep their windows closed in case of smoke pollution," the spokeswoman said.