A fire broke out at the Kigali Foam factory in Gikondo, Kicukiro District, on Thursday morning, prompting an emergency response from firefighters.
The blaze started between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the factory in the Mutangana area of Gikondo. Workers said the fire spread quickly, sending thick smoke into the air and forcing them to call emergency services.
Firefighters from the Rwanda National Police’s Fire and Rescue Brigade responded to the scene and worked to contain the blaze.
Workers said they initially attempted to extinguish the fire using fire extinguishers, but were unable to control it as the flames intensified. They were also concerned that the fire could spread to nearby buildings.
Nzabamwita Ananias, an employee at the factory, said large quantities of waste materials and other items used in production were inside the facility when the fire started.
Several pieces of equipment and other property were damaged, although the value of the losses had not been established.
No injuries or deaths were reported.
The cause of the fire had not been officially established, but welding work carried out nearby using electricity from the factory was among the suspected causes.
The factory has experienced a fire before. In 2012, Kigali Foam was also affected by a blaze that was reportedly linked to an electrical fault.
