Fire destroys factory in Metn

Aboud: We can't determine loss yet, factory contains $12 million worth of machines

July 12, 2011- A huge fire erupted at the General Packaging Industries’ factory for manufacturing disposable plastic cups and containers at the Metn area of Mazraat Yachouh.

Factory owner, Minister of Tourism Fadi Aboud, said the fire erupted at a late hour on Sunday and was not extinguished till Monday noon. In remarks to the Central News Agency, Aboud said the fire broke out in the UPS room and spread across other areas of the three-story building. No casualties were reported.

Aboud said the fire ravaged through all areas of the factory “except for the storerooms which were relatively far from the fire.” He said the value of machines in the factory amount to some $12 million, but that the total loss cannot be calculated yet.

According to the factory’s estimates, GPI’s share of the market of aluminum food containers is 75 percent.
Head of the Industrialists Association, Nehmat Frem, who visited the site, highlighted the need to establish industrial cities with the fundamental infrastructure. He said factory buildings should be constructed across a wide area in only one-story, which makes it easier to contain the flames and isolate the affected areas in case a fire breaks out. However, he said, there are no large areas of land allocated for constructing industrial buildings.