[WATCH] Sant'Antnin plant fire: drone footage reveals extent of damage

110 CPD workers and volunteers were on site each shift • The CPD used nine vehicles in operation • 500,000 ltrs of water were used to control the fires

CPD staff were on site all day to ensure no smoldering debris remained • Photos: Chris Mangion / MaltaToday
CPD staff were on site all day to ensure no smoldering debris remained • Photos: Chris Mangion / MaltaToday
Drone footage of Sant'Antnin plant reveals extent of damage

The extent of the damage cause by a blazing inferno that struck the Sant’Antnin recycling plant in Marsascala early yesterday afternoon, became ever so apparent today as the huge plumes of smoke slowly died down to reveal the mayhem left behind.

Firefighters and members of the Civil Protection Department were still on site today, pouring water over piles of material, as numerous CPD and civil water bowsers fought to keep up with the demand.

Eclusive MaltaToday drone footage and photos reveal the true extent of the damage.

The €27 million recycling plant – part-financed by the EU – was officially inaugurated by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in November 2010 and was hailed as a “historic milestone for Malta”, set to generate enough electricity, approximately 13,000,000 Kwh annually, to provide 1,400 families with power.

Photos: Chris Mangion / MaltaToday
Photos: Chris Mangion / MaltaToday

Mepa had granted the permit for the government to transform the site into a waste treatment plant in 2006, with the first phase completed two years later.

The CPD said that yesterday’s effort had focused on controlling the fire – keeping it boxed in – and ensuring it did not spread to other areas of the plant.

In the second, and most dangerous, phase of the fire response operation, CPD members spend the whole night fighting the fire until it was completely extinguished by 7am.

Photos: Chris Mangion / MaltaToday
Photos: Chris Mangion / MaltaToday

That is when the third phase kicked in, with workers sifting through the piles of material, especially those in the hot zone, to ensure no smoldering debris remains.

This work is expected to continue through the night and in the coming days, since the direction of the wind is not favourable to the CPD’s efforts.

IN all, between 40 and 50 CPD workers were on site during every shift, complemented by a further 60 department volunteers.

The CPD reported that one volunteer hurt his arm while working on site and had been sent to Mater Dei Hospital.

Nine CPD vehicles were utilised in the response and control and operation, during which more than half a million litres of water were used up.