Paint factory fire injures 8, damages warehouses

Eight Indian workers were injured on Monday when fire engulfed a paint factory located next to the ring road in Amman, police and Civil Defence Department (CDD) officials said. The fire, which started at 5:15am and lasted for two hours, engulfed two warehouses spread over more than 1,200 metres, a CDD official told The Jordan Times. The fire also resulted in the death of 45 heads of sheep that were grazing near the factory, the official added. “The fire engulfed 500 barrels filled with flammable chemical substances that were used to manufacture paint, causing a huge fire,” said CDD Spokesperson Colonel Farid Share. He added that more than 35 fire engines rushed to the scene to contain the flames. Water tanks from the Gendarmerie Forces also helped, according to Police Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Mohammad Khatib. “Explosions from the chemical substances that burnt quickly were heard in the area,” Khatib told The Jordan Times. “Luckily, CDD and Gendarmerie personnel managed to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to a gas plant located next to the paint factory,” he added. “I consider what the CDD and Gendarmerie did on Monday a national mission that ended successfully and without any disastrous incident,” he added. Share said the Indian workers suffered smoke inhalation. They “were treated and some were discharged from hospital”. “Their injuries are minor,” Khatib said. Khatib and Share said committees were established to investigate the cause of the fire and to estimate the losses.