A large fire has broken out at the Tata Steel plant in south Wales, with fire crews tackling the blaze.
Staff have been evacuated and accounted for while emergency services remain at the scene in Port Talbot.
Pictures show large plumes of smoke rising from the site, which has traditionally made steel for cars, buildings and aerospace projects.
The blaze was first reported at 8pm on Wednesday at one of the plant’s processing lines, and was attended by Mid and West Wales Fire Service.
One witness told the BBC that the scene had been “very apocalyptic” and that she “couldn’t see the flames because the sky was so black”.
On Thursday morning, Tata Steel said: “At this time, the emergency services remain on site and are working with local teams to completely extinguish the fire.”
They added that the incident was not related to the “safe and successful” demolition of a redundant gas holder earlier on Wednesday evening.
Rapid Relief Team UK (RRT), which provides emergency food and practical support to emergency services during major incidents, said around 100 responders were involved in an “incredibly demanding and hazardous” night of work.
Their volunteers arrived within 90 minutes of the callout and serviced 125 hot meals overnight for crew members.
Fire crews from Neath, Morriston, Glynneath, Swansea, , Llanelli, Carmarthen, and as far away as Milford Haven attended the scene to support.
A statement from South Wales Police says: "Residents are advised to keep windows and doors closed.
"Please avoid the area and use alternative routes where possible."
The Tata Steel plant is one of the largest steelworks with roughly 2,000 workers. While it has always been a major employer in the region, the closure of its two blast furnaces in 2024 led to the loss of thousands of jobs and severely impacted the local community.
Steel processing has continued in the absence of the furnaces, while construction is underway for an electric arc furnace which is due to be operational by the end of 2027.
