550 workers at the Alon Tabor factory lost their jobs in a few hours.
A huge fire last night destroyed the plastics plant of Starplast Industries in Alon Tabor. The plant uses injection molding machines to makes plastic products, such as household utensils, products for children, and storage products. Starplast owner and general manager Senior Schwartz, who was on a business trip to China when the fire broke out, is due to arrive in Israel early tomorrow morning.
The fire caused hundreds of millions of shekels in damage to the plant, and left only one building untouched. 550 workers lost their jobs in a few hours. Only in the morning hours did the firefighters manage to control the blaze, the circumstances of which were unclear.
The fire caused the collapse of three key buildings in the plant, and burned a large proportion of its inventory of plastic products. The plant’s water pressure system collapsed. The fire department summoned help from the Mekorot National Water Company, and Israel Defense Forces firefighters reached the plant during the morning hours, and helped control the fire.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on November 2, 2005