Fire rips through industrial waste plant near Barcelona

MADRID: Nearly 30 teams of firefighters were drafted in to tackle a huge blaze raging at an industrial waste disposal plant near Barcelona on Wednesday, sending vast plumes of black smoke into the air.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from the fire which broke out just before dawn on an industrial estate in Montorns del Valls, some 15 kilometres northeast of Barcelona. "We are working with 28 fire crews to put the fire out," the regional fire service tweeted, saying the blaze had erupted at a firm that recycles solvents and industrial waste, posting dramatic footage of the flames consuming a white building and the road next to it.

The regional civil protection services threw up a security cordon around the area, posting updates on Twitter which initially urged local residents to stay at home with their windows closed.