Yemen : Fire Shuts Down Sponge Factory in Taiz’s Birbasha District

Taiz — A fire broke out Monday at a sponge factory in the al-Dar neighborhood of Birbasha, western Taiz city, forcing the facility out of service. Civil defense and emergency teams managed to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings and facilities.

Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the fire erupted at the sponge factory owned by Abdul Jalil Radman in the al-Dar area of al-Hasb, part of al-Mudhaffar district. 

Workers were unable to contain the flames as they spread, prompting them to evacuate and call firefighting units. No fatalities were reported.

The blaze disrupted production lines and rendered the factory inoperative. The cause of the fire and the extent of material damage remain unclear.

Mohammed al-Kadhhi, director general of al-Mudhaffar district, confirmed in a statement Monday evening that the fire was fully contained. He noted that civil defense, emergency teams, and relevant authorities intervened to stop the flames from reaching surrounding structures.

Al-Kadhhi added that the incident caused no deaths or serious injuries, except for one case of smoke inhalation that received medical treatment. 

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the fire and assess damages. He praised the swift response of civil defense, security forces, and health teams involved in the operation.

Yemen’s provinces have witnessed sporadic fires in recent years across factories and facilities, amid deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions and weakened emergency response capacities after more than a decade of war.