The Civil Protection Department have warned residents around Marsa to keep their windows closed due to toxic smoke emerging from a fire at the WasteServ facility in Marsa.  The fire has since been extinguished.

The fire in the Menqa area of Marsa developed on Tuesday morning, with a thick plume of black smoke being seen from various areas around Malta.

Police told The Malta Independent that the fire has now been extinguished, and confirmed that there were no injuries.

In a statement, the CPD advised residents in Paola, Fgura, Tarxien, and Santa Lucija to keep their windows closed until the fire is controlled, as the smoke is deemed to be toxic.

The CPD said that its workers are also working to extinguish the fire and to evacuate residents from homes in the area.

In a brief update on their Facebook page, WasteServ said that after a fire developed in a yard where autoclave material is stored, an evacuation was completed and all personnel are accounted for and confirmed safe. 

"A large scale operation by CPD is underway and more updates will be communicated accordingly", WasteServ said.

In a later statement, WasteServ confirmed that at around 7:30am this morning, a fire broke out in a yard adjoining the autoclave plant. Within minutes, the area was evacuated, and all workers were accounted for, they said.

"The Civil Protection Department took control of the situation, successfully controlling the fire within two hours. The fire appears to have originated from bonemeal material - the product of the autoclave plant."

The incinerator operated by WasteServ Malta was completely untouched by the fire, including its yard. The plant has, however, been shut down as a precautionary measure and kept on standby so it can be restarted as soon as there is the necessary clearance.