Firefighters tackle 12-hour Mallusk fire

The NIFRS said the fire was still burning, but under control, on Monday morning

A fire has caused extensive damage at a Country Antrim waste management plant.

Some 50 firefighters and 11 appliances fought the blaze at ISL Waste Management plant in Mallusk for more than 12 hours.

On Monday morning the fire was still burning, but under control, in the self-contained storage facility, said the fire service.

It is not clear what caused the blaze, which started at about 20:30 GMT on Sunday.

Despite the damage to the area next to the company's main facility, ISL Waste Management remains operational, and collections will happen as normal on Monday, it said.

Managing Director Barry Donaghy apologised to local residents for any inconvenience suffered from the smoke generated, and paid tribute to the speed and efficiency of the fire service in tackling the blaze.

"Our main processing plant will be fully operational today once the smoke has cleared but I can reassure all our customers we will be making our routine collections as normal," he said.

At the scene: Rick Faragher, BBC News NI BBC NI

While there are no signs of flames on Monday morning, fire crews are continuing to pump huge amounts of water onto the building, more than 12 hours since the fire started.

The damage is extensive - partially collapsed structures and shattered windows. The scale of the fire has clearly been huge.

We still don't know what caused this blaze, but there are no reports of any injuries.

Local residents have been advised to keep their doors and windows closed.