A fire that broke out on Tuesday afternoon at a factory in Nisou was brought under control around two hours later after burning around six hectares, the fire service said.

Spokesman Andreas Kettis said in a Tweet that the blaze broke out around 4.30 at a factory in the Nisou industrial area that produces polystyrene and insulation materials.

The building has an area of 30×20 metres and also stores paper products and paints in a separate space from the rest of the materials, he said.

Six fire trucks from Nicosia fire stations and a privately owned water tank responded to the blaze, with Kettis saying additional personnel were sent to the scene.

Firefighting crews spread beyond the building’s perimeter to protect surrounding buildings, eventually managing to contain the fire and keep it from reaching the paint storage area.

Kettis added that employees were still in the building when the fire broke out but nobody was harmed.

Finally the spokesman said the causes of the fire will be investigated on Wednesday in collaboration with the police and relevant state services.