Sony confirms investigation into warehouse blaze is underway

Facility unsafe as fire continues to 'smoulder'

By Kelly Fiveash, 9th August 2011

Sony has confirmed that the huge blaze at its Digital Audio Disc Corporation (DADC) distribution centre in Enfield, north London, last night is being investigated by police.

It said the company first learned of a fire at the warehouse at 23:30 on Monday (8 August) night.

"There have been no injuries to employees," Sony said in a statement.

"The fire is under control but can be described as 'smouldering', consequently no one can enter the facility.

"Therefore at this time we are unable to confirm the extent of the damage or the cause until the fire is fully extinguished and a full investigation can be carried out by authorities."

It has been suggested by eyewitnesses talking to the BBC and other news channels that the fire was started by looters during the riots that spread across London and other UK cities overnight.

Sony said its 20,000 square metre three-storey distie centre at 6 Solar Way, Enfield, had housed CDs, DVDs, BDs and UMDs.

The building stood at that site since 1 July 2006, but it is now a burnt-out shell.

Indie film-makers, music producers and distributors in the entertainment biz have been badly affected by the fire.

Popstar Patrick Wolf took to Twitter to mourn the loss of some of his music too:

"Today my love goes to PIAS and all the affected labels, I lost my own label 'BCM' stock too, the bachelor album and all the 7" singles RIP x" he said.

The disturbances shows no signs of stopping - trouble is starting up in Camberwell, Hackney Town Hall has been evacuated and a mobile TB X-ray van has been evacuated from Newham as shops came under attack.

Meanwhile, the economic meltdown in the UK and elsewhere got even hotter today.

Shares on the London Stock Exchange fell sharply this morning and the Office for National Statistics said that June's deficit on trade in goods and services widened to £4.5bn, up half a billion pounds on May's figures.

America's credit rating was downgraded late last week, the Eurozone remains in serious financial crisis and the UK economy has seen a severe slump in recent days. ®

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