In a swift and coordinated effort, members of the Civil Protection Department successfully brought under control a fire that erupted this morning at Magħtab, following preliminary findings suggesting that a truck carrying mixed recyclables from the commercial sector had unloaded material that was already ablaze, as reported by WasteServ.
The incident unfolded at 9.19 am in the designated area for receiving recyclable bags, specifically the grey/green bags. Despite the rapid response from the Civil Protection Department, the combustible nature of the recyclable materials, primarily comprising plastic and paper, meant that extinguishing the fire required additional time.
WasteServ released a statement indicating that investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway, with active collaboration with the police. Preliminary assessments suggest that the driver of the truck, as captured on CCTV, seemed to be aware that they were unloading material that was on fire before driving off from the scene.
Historically, fires of this nature have led to catastrophic consequences. However, the efficient and effective response from the Civil Protection Department, supported by a robust firefighting network, ensured that the fire, though requiring substantial time to extinguish completely, was swiftly brought under control within minutes.
WasteServ expressed gratitude to the Civil Protection Department for their prompt assistance in handling the situation. The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the critical importance of proper disposal practices, especially for highly flammable materials such as batteries, mobile phones, and flares.
The statement from WasteServ included a strong call to the public to exercise caution when disposing of waste and emphasised their commitment to ongoing educational initiatives to raise awareness about responsible waste disposal.
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