Fire at asphalt plant extinguished

A large blaze erupted at an asphalt plant in Gqeberha on Wednesday afternoon, causing a plume of black smoke to hover over the city.

No casualties were reported as a result of the fire that started just after 2pm at Much Asphalt in Haworthia Drive, Parkside.

Nelson Mandela Bay municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase confirmed the incident.

“Bitumen and diesel were on fire inside a silo,” Ndamase said.

“The fire has been contained and our crews are busy cooling down the silo.”

According to Ndamase, four teams were deployed to tackle the inferno.

“The cause of the fire is still unknown for now.”

Much Asphalt plant manager Nathan Jacobs said: “Everything is under control.

“There was a malfunction at the plant that caused a liquid to ignite but nobody was injured or hurt.

“The fire has been extinguished ... it was not an explosion.”

Videos and images of the incident were quickly shared on social media.

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