Fire damages Rayong polyester factory

The Nation 24 August 2012

A fire raged through a polyester factory in Rayong's Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate late Thursday night, with firefighters taking 15 minutes to control the blaze. No casualties were reported.

Fire engines were mobilised from Map Ta Phut itself and from nearby factories to control the fire at Indorama Polyester Industries Plc, a major producer of polyester fibre, on I-2 Road in the industrial estate.

Fire fighters brought the blaze under control within 15 minutes.

According to the initial investigation, workers saw fire break out in the upper level of the factory before spreading quickly to lower levels, burning machinery and already produced materials.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and damages could not be estimated pending expert inspection of the entire factory.

This is the second fire at the factory. Another blaze occurred two years ago.

In a statement to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Indorama Ventures said that the minor fire started on the roof of the polyester staple fibre section, which was extinguished within 15 minutes. This section has been temporarily closed to investigate the cause and for cleaning operations. All other sections in the plant are running normally. There is no material damage to any of the any of the assets or production line.