Houses evacuated after ‘suspicious’ accident at grain processing plant

A fire damaged a grain processing building in Gisborne, New Zealand on Thursday.

Residents living near the Corson Grain Mill were evacuated from their homes but returned later that day, according to the New Zealand Herald.

According to New Zealand’s 1News, the fire was listed as “suspicious”.

The fire was reported just after 7 p.m. and firefighters were “actively involved” when firefighters arrived, a New Zealand fire and emergency spokesman said.

Senior fire and emergency officer Jason Higgins said the plant is “being treated like a crime scene.”

Similarly, food factories began to burn in #New Zealand The Korson grain factory is on fire tonight…
“Gisborne residents were evacuated from their homes after a grain processing building caught fire.”
Corson Grain Mill on Cochrane Street, Elgin at 7:00 pm. #nspol pic.twitter.com/CrlTKAEA1n

— WildandFree17 (@Wildnfree1984) March 2, 2023

“Might be suspicious, so a fire investigator will be on the scene tomorrow morning,” he said.

Higgins said there was “no obvious cause” for the fire. After the flames were extinguished, police guards were posted to the scene of the fire.

1News reported that the fire destroyed the mill section of a plant that processes grain to produce cereals or animal feed and employs 11 people.

Witness Katherine Rogers said she “saw a large plume of smoke” rising from the grain silos.

“It was a huge amount of smoke. You could see the flames and hear the crackling and falling of things inside the building,” said Rogers, who lives across the street from the plant.

Rogers said her family was evacuated, “if there’s smoke or anything, we’re not going to get into it.”

Corson Grain Mill they grind both food for human consumption and livestock feed… a double whammy

— Mr Bond (@007JamesBondmk3) March 2, 2023

Cyclone Gabriel recently hit the Gisborne region.

“It’s so difficult with the crops being destroyed and trying to get in and out of Gisborne at the moment,” Rogers said.

“That’s the last thing we need.

This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.

We strive for truth and accuracy in all our journalistic material. Check out our editorial standards.

Comment below