Dense black smoke rose from a power plant in a region in southern Vietnam on Wednesday morning as flames engulfed an area of the facility for more than two hours.

The incident occurred at around 10:30 am at the construction site of the Duyen Hai 3 Thermal Power Plant, located in Duyen Hai District, Tra Vinh, a coastal province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, according the plant’s management.

The fire erupted in the Flue-Gas Desulfurization unit, an area responsible for eliminating sulfur dioxide from flue gases during the burning of fossil fuels.

A 50-member group of officials and firefighters accompanying eight fire trucks were dispatched to battle the blaze.

No human casualties have been reported, said Huynh Van Khoi, director of the advisory department from the Tra Vinh Province Police.

A witness said that when an enormous thick cloud of smoke rose, many workers panicked, risking their lives by using ropes to descend from the building.

An affected structure from the March 7, 2018 fire at the Duyen Hai 3 Thermal Plant in Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The incident’s cause and damages are still be investigated by police.

Construction of the VND22.78 trillion (more than US$1 billion) Duyen Hai 3 Thermal Plant began in December 2014 and the facility is scheduled for operation this year.

As one of four thermal plants opperated by the Duyen Hai Electric Power Center, the facility is expected to provide electricity to provinces and municipalities in southern Vietnam, and produce 3.9 billion kWh yearly.

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