Portugal Colonial - Huge fire sparked by explosions near Argentine capital 'contained'

Officials also said that most of the more than 20 people who suffered minor injuries in the incident have been discharged from hospital.

Late Friday, a dense column of black and orange smoke billowed across the sky above the Ezeiza municipality, about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) from Buenos Aires and close to the country's busiest international airport.

The explosions and fire spread panic among locals. The disaster shattered windows in some homes and caused minor damage to other buildings.

The fire has not yet been extinguished but "it is contained, which means it will not spread beyond the limits where it is currently burning," Fabian Garcia, the Civil Defense director for Buenos Aires province, told local media.

The incident "had violent characteristics, but the situation was never out of control to the point of posing a risk to the population," Garcia said.

Air quality was being monitored in the affected area. Smoke particles detected were of concern, "but it is not an extremely dangerous situation," Garcia added.

Thick columns of black smoke rose hundreds of meters into the night sky, illuminated orange from the massive blaze, as witnessed by AFP reporters near the site.

"The explosions and fire breaking out in the different factories are huge," Ezeiza mayor Gaston Granados said earlier.

"We are trying to control (the fire) and extinguish it but have not been able to so far," he said on C5N television, adding that the windows of his own nearby house had been shattered and they were evacuating families from the area.

Hospital director Carlos Santoro said his facility had received 22 injured patients.

A patient with a heart attack and a pregnant woman suffering from respiratory issues were among those admitted, he added.

Firefighters were still battling to put out the fire early on Saturday, local media reported.

Several companies manufacturing tires, chemical products and other goods were located in the industrial area.

Local media reported that five different factories were hit by the explosions and blaze, and AFP reporters saw that at least one factory building had been reduced to ashes.

A.Magalhes--PC