Ammonia safety scare over

An investigation has begun into the cause of a fire which tore through a meat packaging plant in County Londonderry.

At the peak of the blaze, residents living beside the plant in Coleraine had been warned to stay indoors to avoid contact with ammonia gas.

The fire broke out in a plant room and cold storage area at WD Meats on the Lower Newmills Road in the town at about 1900 BST on Friday.

There were concerns that ammonia could leak from a cooling tank in the grounds of the factory, but the safety scare has now ended.

The Fire Service urged people living beside the plant, and in adjacent housing developments, to remain inside and close all windows.

More than 100 emergency services staff were involved in the operation, and part of the building's roof had to be removed.

Bill Majury of the Fire Service said the problems were caused by a large storage tank on the site containing approximately four tonnes of ammonia.

A number of appliances attended the scene

He said that the tank was isolated by crews.

The alert was beside the Harbour Hill housing estate and surrounding roads were closed.

Initially the risk was thought to come from an electricity substation, but it was later confirmed the blaze was in the meat plant.

Ammonia is a colourless, pungent gas but it can irritate air passages and cause breathing difficulties.