Firefighting crews have been deployed at the scene of the blaze and a large security perimeter has been established around the factory. As the fire reportedly started at a diester production unit, the firefighters are taking measures to prevent any risk of toxic spills.
Prior to the arrival of the fire crews, employees tried to put out the blaze themselves, according to the outlet France Bleu.
Currently, all the employees have been evacuated.
Une explosion a retenti à l'usine Saipol, vendredi 13 mars 2020 à Grand-Couronne près de Rouen (Seine-Maritime) vers 12h30. Les secours interviennent en urgence sur ce site Seveso. des écoles confinées.https://t.co/MDx2jfR5G8 pic.twitter.com/9ikkQAdlWY
— Webzh Zone (@Webzh_Zone) March 13, 2020
La sirène de l'usine #Saipol continue de sonner, le personnel est devant les grilles sur le parking #Rouen pic.twitter.com/t3inFXZSvS
— Raphaël Tual (@raphtual) March 13, 2020
According to reports, at least one school in the area has been evacuated.
The Saipol group has several factories in France, including facilities in Grand-Couronne and Dieppe in the Seine-Maritime department. In February 2018, two people died following an explosion at a factory in Dieppe.
