A fire was recently reported at the Algiers banknote press. According to a statement released by the Bank of Algeria, the fire caused damage to equipments and other facilities in the press.
Local media reports that eye witnesses had seen thick smoke coming from the press on the day of the incident, which was followed by a loud explosion. Witness reports further state that the fire spread quickly to various parts of the press and would have caused more damage, had not the civil protection team acted rapidly.
There were no casualties reported, except some minor injuries to six members of the civil protection team. Press agencies report that the disaster could have been worse, if the fire had damaged the printing machines that minted money.
The bank statement indicates that there was limited material damaged caused by the incident, and stressed that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the process of printing money is carried out without any interruption. The statement said that the fire destroyed the paper that was used for the printing of money and passports.
Fire fighters worked day and night to extinguish the fire and reports indicate that about 200 members of the civil protection force, along with 28 fire trucks and five ambulances were on alert to prevent the spreading of the fire.
The whole process was carried out amid tight security and with high importance, as the press plays an important role in running the state economy. The press had in possession documents and materials that were used for the printing of bank instruments, postal and tax stamps, in addition to money. Police have begun preliminary investigations to determine the cause of the fire, which is still unknown. Sources suggest that an electric spark caused the fire.
