Blaze wrecks salmon processing plant
A fire yesterday severely damaged a salmon processing plant close to the city of Punta Arenas, in the far south of Chile. The Entrevientos factory is a joint venture between salmon farmers Blumar and Multi X and employs 800 people.
The alarm at the factory was activated at 10.50am, with seven of the city’s eight firefighting companies and the Punta Arenas brigade called upon to extinguish the blaze, which was brought under control at around 2pm.
The factory and nearby buildings were evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
Factory owner Entrevientos SA said the cause of the blaze is being investigated.
The blaze did not reach the refrigeration area, avoiding a major contingency that would affect neighbours or areas adjacent to the facilities.
“The company deeply regrets what happened and appreciates the work and dedication of the institutions that participated in extinguishing this fire,” the company stated.
