Several businesses and two schools were evacuated in a County Galway village this Thursday following a fire at a battery production factory.
The incident happened at the Xerotech plant in Claregalway Corporate Park, around 15km from Galway city, which resulted in hundreds of pupils at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir and Claregalway Educate Together National School being evacuated as a precaution.
It is understood production at the lithium battery production factory was disrupted when a fire broke out at the plant on Wednesday morning.
Galway Fire and Rescue Service responded to the fire yesterday but concern was raised on Thursday over some issues continuing at the plant and a decision was taken to close businesses there and also evacuate the schools as a safety precaution.
Pupils from the Claregalway Educate Together National School were moved to the Church of the Assumption and St James’ in Claregalway village, while hundreds of secondary students from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir were taken in buses five kilometres away to the Claregalway GAA complex at Knockdoemore.
A statement from Galway County Council said that An Garda Síochána assisted in the evacuation procedure.
Parents were advised not to go to the schools as access was restricted and that their children could be collected at the temporary locations they were taken to.
Xerotech, which was founded ten years ago, manufactures batteries for industrial electrical vehicles and has continued to grow over the past decade.
There was a previous fire incident at the Xerotech plant in Claregalway in September 2022 when staff had to be evacuated, while employees from neighbouring businesses in Claregalway Corporate Park were also evacuated as a precaution.
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