Milk Powder Production Plant Heavily Damaged in FireMilk Powder Production Plant Heavily Damaged in Fire

A fire nearly destroyed the the Clover S.A. milk powder manufacturing facility in Estcourt, South Africa last Wednesday and forced workers on site to evacuate the facility during the incident, local news organizations reported.

“We got the call at 4:55 p.m. yesterday and arrived on scene at about 5:30 p.m. By then, the storage area of the powder milk was fully engulfed,” Okahlamba Chief Fire Officer Freddie Halgreen told East Coast Radio. “It was made difficult by the roof structure and wall structure continuing collapsing.”

Officials said they believe the blaze originated in the fifth floor of a production area in the plant, according to coverage by the Estcourt News. After firefighters worked for several hours to knock down the flames, only three departments in the facility remained intact. 

The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation. No injuries occurred during the fire. 

Clover S.A. is a food and beverages group that serves South Africa and several other nations in Africa with a variety of offerings ranging from dairy products to functional beverages. The company also produces an array of bulk ingredients, including milk powder, condensed milk, whey powder, and butter. 

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