PARIS, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out overnight at a chemical plant in France's northern port city of Rouen, local authorities said on Thursday.
No casualties have been reported yet.
The blaze started at around 2:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT) at the factory of Lubrizol, a company that produces chemicals for the transportation, industrial and consumer markets, the Seine-Maritime department prefecture said in a statement.
It added 200 firefighters had rushed to the site and were currently fighting the flames, and a security perimeter had been put in place.
A live video aired on BFMTV news channel showed a thick plume of black smoke emerging from the plant.
"The fire continues at the Lubrizol facility in Rouen, rescue service on-site," the prefecture tweeted.
Authorities have closed several adjacent schools and called on residents in 13 communes to stay at home as precautionary measures.
The plant is under the authorities' special supervision due to the presence of potentially dangerous chemicals, it added.
