Dobroviz, Central Bohemia, Dec 2 (CTK) – A fire that broke out on Thursday in a distribution centre of the Amazon online commerce company near Prague caused damage of three million crowns and the ongoing investigation has not ruled out arson, said Ladislav Holomcik, spokesman for the regional firefighting corps.
Amazon spokesman Karel Taschner said the distribution centre is fully operating, apart from the site of the fire, at which the investigation and cleaning continue.
About 2,200 people had to be evacuated from the warehouse yesterday evening, however, a part of them returned to their work soon, Taschner said. Rescuers treated three persons who inhaled smoke and all of them have been released from hospital after the treatment, he added.
Holomcik said the fire destroyed goods worth 100,000 crowns but other goods have been contaminated by smoke or destroyed by water when the fire was being extinguished.
The Amazon distribution centre started operating in Dobroviz last year and its capacity was increased in September so that up to 18 million pieces of goods can be stored in the centre and up to one million of parcels can be dispatched every day.
Amazon has 2,300 regular employees and additional 4,000 temporary employees for the time before Christmas when the demand is high.
A fire started in the Amazon distribution centre already in October when one of the employees set a package on fire. Nobody got injured and 700 people had to be evacuated then.
($1=25.465 crowns)
kva/dr/rtj
