Six workers and one fireman were injured in a major fire at a chemical factory in the south of Bogota that was visible throughout the city Thursday.
According to local media reports, the fire broke out around 10AM in Primavera, a neighborhood in the Ciudad Bolivar district.
Apart from the factory, surrounding homes were affected by the fire and subsequent firemen’s attempts to put out the fire.
Initial reports mentioned no possibly dangerous gases that may have escaped during the fire that at one point reached a height some sixty feet.
The Bogota fire department sent seven fire trucks to the location minutes after the fire broke out while police shut down nearby gas stations.
Around 1PM, the fire department tweeted the fire was under control.
Bomberos Oficiales controlan el incendio en la bodega de químicos y hacen ataque a puntos calientes twitter.com/BomberosBogota…
— Bomberos de Bogotá (@BomberosBogota) June 13, 2013
A neighbor told Caracol Radio that this is the fifth time the factory burnt down and that — in spite of the previous fires — the unidentified owner of the factory has categorically failed to take measures to prevent incidents like this.
The injured workers and fireman have been taken to local hospitals for treatment.