A fire which broke out at a scrapyard close to Tal-Barrani road in Ghaxaq has been contained, with a total of 97 firefighters working through a 16-hour operation, the Civil Protection Department said.

In a Facebook post, the CPD said that the operation required 1.2 million litres of water, 24 fire appliances, and the coordination of 12 Senior Fire Officers before the fire was successfully extinguished.

The CPD thanked the several agencies that assisted throughout the emergency response, including the Malta Police Force, Mater Dei Hospital's Emergency Department, Transport Malta, CPD volunteers, the Emergency Fire & Rescue Unit, St John Ambulance & Rescue Malta, private water contractors and J. Micallef service station.

The department said the coordinated effort of all teams was essential to ensuring a safe and effective response to the incident.

In earlier public notices, the CPD had said that the fire had been contained, but firefighting operations were still ongoing.

The CPD also advised the general public to avoid the area due to safety concerns and ongoing emergency response activities.

According to a Facebook post made by J. Micallef Service Station, Tal-Barrani road has been reopened to traffic in both directions.

Thick black smoke emanating from the fire could be seen from various parts of Malta on Wednesday afternoon.

"Residents in nearby towns and villages including Żejtun, Gudja, Ħal Għaxaq, and Birżebbuġa are advised to keep all doors and windows closed as a precaution against smoke and fumes."

Speaking in Parliament, Home Minister Camilleri said: "From what I have been told, there are large fires, and cars and car parts in the scrapyard are on fire, which can be dangerous for CPD workers who are assisting in putting out the fire."

Camilleri urged those who see the fire to close all doors and windows, as such smoke can be toxic, and should not enter people's homes.

"Thank God we have good workers that have all the tools necessary to work to help our country," Camilleri said.