Rabat – A fire broke out on Monday in a candy factory located in the Beausejour district, central Casablanca. The fire has caused significant material damage, but there were no human casualties.
The production unit belongs to the Pastor Macao company—a 72-year-old leading chocolate and candy manufacturer in Morocco.
Casablanca’s civil protection told the press that the fire broke out at approximately 3:30 p.m. on August 3 and quickly burned through cardboard boxes that contained candies and chocolate. Employees were able to leave the factory before the fire grew.
To bring the fire under control, Casablanca’s authorities mobilized six fire trucks, two ambulances, and 80 firefighters. Official sources said that as of 8:30 p.m. on Monday, firefighters were still attempting to extinguish the fires.
According to posts on social media, the fires disappeared at approximately 10 a.m. on Tuesday, after more than 18 hours of struggle.
5 heures après bordel !! Les pompiers sont dépassés et ça va vite ! https://t.co/O4jJjZEvo1 pic.twitter.com/DjUN0e6R4w
— Narcisse (@Words_failed) August 3, 2020
Photos on Twitter show that the fires also damaged buildings surrounding the factory, impacting the walls and causing some cracks.
Reste encore des cendres. Police scientifique vient d’arriver sur place ! Les pompiers sont chaos les pauvres. Si des habitants du quartier me lisent pensez à leur donner au moins de l’eau pic.twitter.com/5G5pcHpwUi
— Narcisse (@Words_failed) August 4, 2020
“Only ash is remaining. Scientific police has just arrived [sic]. The firefighters are exhausted,” wrote a Twitter user.
The factory has been located in the middle of a residential area for decades, drawing safety concerns from neighboring residents. While many production units that previously existed in the Beausejour district were transferred to industrial zones, the Pastor Macao factory was one of the few that kept its location despite the growing residential projects surrounding it.
On social media, several commentators believe the fire could finally push the company to move its production unit into an industrial zone with better safety conditions.
