A fire broke out at the Sant Antnin Waste treatment plant last Saturday morning during the common practice of shredding agriculture waste.

An explosion was heard during the operation that mainly consists of shredding tree trimmings before they are composted last Saturday 23 July. A fire ensued and was controlled until it broke out again later in the day at 7.30pm.

In a statement, Wasteserv said the chemical that caused the incident – and still needs to be identified – was difficult to control using water due to the high temperature at which it burned. No one was injured in the incident, but inert material was still being brought into the site yesterday morning, to ensure that the fire will not re-ignite.

Wastserv said it would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused and would like to emphasise that all problematic material must be pre-notified as hazardous waste so it can be treated separately. The contractors carrying the material should also be extra vigilant about the consignments they transport. A magisterial enquiry has been launched.