By Yoon Sat - Dec 06, 2024

On the evening of December 5 at around 7 p.m., a fire broke out at a Plastic Pellet Factory located on Pyin Si Min Thar Gyi Road in East Dagon Industrial Zone, Dagon Myothit (East) Township, Yangon Region. The fire was extinguished only by December 6 at 3:41 a.m., taking over 8 hours, according to reports.

"At 03:41 on December 6, 2024, the fire was extinguished," stated the Free Funeral Society Service – Yangon Exclusive Fire Service Department in its official announcement.

The fire was first reported at around 6:57 p.m. on December 5. At that time, emergency response teams at Level (1) with additional support fire trucks and volunteer groups were deployed to combat the blaze. By 9:32 p.m., Level (2) teams were also dispatched under headquarters' instructions. The fire-fighting efforts continued until 3:41 a.m. on December 6, lasting 8 hours and 40 minutes in total.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage remain unknown.

The affected factory was a plastic pellet factory and processing facility with a size of 200 feet by 600 feet. The fire raged for almost the entire night, resulting in injuries among firefighters and volunteers, with one individual suffering severe injuries, according to reports.

"Throughout the night, three firefighters and four volunteers were injured. Among them, one firefighter was critically injured. He was extinguishing the fire while climbing on a plastic pellets. The fire spread from beneath, causing it to collapse and trap him in flames. It took a significant effort to rescue him. He suffered major injuries, almost across his entire body," said a representative of a humanitarian aid organization that assisted at the scene.

The fire began at around 6:50 p.m. and was not completely extinguished until 3:30 a.m. today (December 6, 2024). Humanitarian organizations from across Yangon Region supported the response on the ground, providing assistance such as drinking water and fuel, which were urgently needed.