Firemen battled a blaze in Sitra, Bahrain for more than four hours before extinguishing it yesterday (April 30).

The fire broke out at approximately 2pm at the Nidukki Trading Company factory in the Sitra Industrial Area, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Up to 45 firemen and civil defence officials were immediately rushed to the scene.

“There were no injuries as no-one was inside the building when the fire broke out,' a civil defence official, who asked not to be named, told the GDN at the scene.

“It was a closed area and the warehouse was filled with boxes and papers. Moreover, due to extreme heat, it took a long time for us to get the fire under control.

“We had between 10 and 13 civil defence trucks here to manage the flames, apart from 40 to 45 personnel.

“The building has been 100 per cent damaged by smoke and fire.'

The company specialises in waste management, recycling and cleaning services and it emerged that the warehouse was filled with cartons, newspapers and papers, which accelerated the fire.

“There were about five workers from another company who were using a grinder to work with metals, right behind the warehouse,” added the official.

“It set off sparks, leading to the fire, and the materials in the building meant it accelerated quickly.”

He said an investigation into the blaze has been launched.

Officials from Nidukki Trading Company could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, a fire also broke out in Muharraq last night, near the suq.

Sources told the GDN that the fire occurred in a waste disposal site. However, no injuries were reported.

The Interior Ministry confirmed the blaze and said an inquiry has been launched. - TradeArabia News Service