A huge fire at a food factory in south Jeddah industrial area, resulting in the explosion of a diesel fuel tank, injured two people and damaged several cars on Thursday.

The two injured people are a factory worker who was taken to a hospital and a Civil Defense staff member who was treated at the scene.

The factory director said production would not be affected after the Civil Defense firefighting teams succeeded in putting out the fire before it could reach the production lines.

The factory’s area is 15,000 square meters, with the fire covering two areas of 3,000 square meters.

The Civil Defense dashed 24 teams after it received a call about the blaze, which had sent thick black smoke billowing into the air.

Six fire brigade teams worked under dangerous circumstances to isolate the fire at the factory’s production area, while 10 other teams worked from three directions to put it out.

The intensity of the fire resulted in a diesel fuel tank exploding on the eastern side of the facility, sending pieces of metal hurtling into the air and landing on some parked cars nearby.

The Civil Defense evacuated an adjoining warehouse containing large amounts of flour.

Brig. Gen. Jamil Arbaeen, Civil Defense director in Makkah, and Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Mitairfi, Civil Defense director in Jeddah, supervised the operations. The Red Crescent and the city’s health department provided support at the location.

Col. Saud Al-Shanbari said preliminary investigations showed that the fire started when diesel was poured out of one of the factory’s tanks.