A lightning strike is believed to have been the cause of a large fire at the Tata Steel works in Port Talbot this morning.
No-one was hurt in the blaze at the site’s coke ovens.
Emergency services were called to the scene just after 8am this morning.
Fire crews remain at the scene to monitor the situation.
The alarm was raised just after 8am
Eye witness Mike O’Neill, who was passing the steelworks at the time, said: “My car shook with the explosion as I drove past. I can see massive 100ft flames. There was also a huge plume of black smoke.”
A Tata Steel spokesman said: “We can confirm that there has been a fire at our Port Talbot coke ovens this morning.
“No one was hurt. Following the necessary safety and operational checks, we will be looking to restart manufacturing operations today.
“Initial investigations suggest a lightning strike led to the fire at the site’s coke ovens.”
The Mid and West Wales Fire Service said it was alerted shortly after 8am to reports of the blaze and six crews were dispatched.
Appliances from Port Talbot, Neath, Morriston and an aerial appliance from Swansea West attended the scene in south Wales.
“I can confirm that the fire has been extinguished and the power supply has been re-established at the plant,” a brigade spokeswoman said.
“The crews are beginning to leave but some are staying to monitor the situation should anything escalate.”
Last month, Tata announced 750 job cuts at the site, among 1,050 across the UK.