Fire investigators are probing the cause of a blaze which destroyed a Peterhead, Scotland fish factory, BBC News reports.
The fire which burned for more than 10 hours at the Northbay
Pelagic site was brought under control overnight into Sunday.
Nearby flats were evacuated but no-one was believed to have
been in the factory at the time.
 |
| The blaze could be seen for miles |
The fire service said the investigation into the cause of
the blaze was getting under way on Monday.
A rest centre was set up at Peterhead Academy for people
evacuated from their homes in Errol Street and road closures were expected to
remain in place for some time.
Three crews remained on scene overnight to damp down the
fire before investigators assess the damage and potential cause.
Northbay Pelagic is reported to employ about 300 people in
Peterhead, one of Europe's busiest fish landing ports.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
"Northbay Pelagic is one of the largest fish factories in Scotland and a
major employer in Peterhead.
"As we start the new mackerel season the Scottish
government stands ready to assist in the aftermath of this fire in any way we
can.
"We are asking public agencies to work with the local
authority and the business to see what support can be offered as a matter of
urgency."
Earlier on Saturday, clouds of smoke could be seen billowing
across the harbour area and there were reports of loud bangs from inside the
building.
One eyewitness described it as looking like a
"volcano" erupting.
At its peak 10 fire units and several specialist crews
tackled the flames.
The building involved was formerly the Fresh Catch fish
factory. The firm was taken over in a "joint venture" by new company
Northbay Pelagic Ltd in 2013.
The smoke clouds were visible from Peterhead FC's Balmoor
Stadium. The club were playing Stirling Albion at home on Saturday afternoon.
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