Fire-fighters extinguished the last small fires at the Drop Chemicals factory in Mriehel this morning, nearly 24 hours after the factory was rocked by a series of explosions and a fierce blaze.

Practically nothing remains of the two-storey detergents factory other than a blackened shell which had been declared unsafe.

Investigations into the cause of the fire have now been taken in hand by court-appointed experts and the police.

The damage runs into hundreds of thousands of euro.

CPD director Patrick Murgo said firefighters stayed on the site overnight as small fires which could not be easily reached continued to blaze.

Around 120 people took part in the operation including CPD fire fighters, CPD volunteers and members of other organisations including the Emergency Fire Rescue Unit and the St John Rescue Corps. CPD personnel who were on leave were called in to man the CPD's other stations.

Enemalta and Alf. Mizzi and Sons also provided their own fire engines, the Resources Ministry made water bowsers available. 

Referring to criticism that some of the CPD personnel were not wearing breathing equipment during the operation, Mr Murgo said that the fire fighters who needed this equipment used it. Others were in an upwind location and did not require it.

Footage on the youtube video shows one the explosions at the factory.