Maputo — A major fire broke out on Saturday in a coal processing area belonging to the Indian company Vulcan, in Moatize district, in the central Mozambican province of Tete.

According to a statement from the company, the fire was caused by sparks falling from an electrode onto a chemical product during welding work.

"The fire started in an area where coal is processed and it spread, as there were highly combustible chemical materials in the same area. The initial work of the in-house firefighters was to isolate the fire in the area already affected, in order to prevent it spreading further', reads the note.

The company firefighters, the document says, managed to bring the fire under control without any need to call in the National Fire Brigade (SENSAP).

"Thanks to the rapid intervention of our emergency teams, the fire was promptly brought under control, with no injuries or material damage reported', reads the statement.