A fire broke through a distribution center in North Carolina for the home shopping television network QVC early Saturday and caused significant damage to the facility, officials said.
More than 300 people were working at the facility near Rocky Mount when the fire was reported just after 2 a.m., The News & Observer reported. No injuries were reported immediately.
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According to Edgecombe County Manager Eric Evans, QVC officials reported that all staff had safely evacuated the camp and were held accountable, except for one who had not yet contacted his family. Early Saturday, Evans had said that all of the centre’s staff would appear to be held accountable.
QVC said in a subsequent statement that it is working with local authorities to confirm the safety of all employees and contractors at the site. Almost 2,000 “team members” work in the complex, spread over three shifts.
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Evans said a “main section” of the 365,000-square-foot facility appears to have been destroyed. Crews of almost 45 fire brigades continued to fight the fire more than 12 hours after the fire started.
“They are working very hard to protect the rest of the building,” said Evans. “Substantial loss, but we are very confident that it is not a total write-off and that you can build up again here.”
| ticker | safety | Last | change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QVCC | QVC INC. | 25.67 | -0.12 | -0.47% |
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, according to Evans.
QVC tweeted a statement about the fire on Saturday, saying, “We are currently focusing on our team. As we work to understand the full implications of this incident, including any implications for shipping and delivery, we will provide more details.”
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QVC. Inc. is based in West Chester, Pennsylvania and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail Inc.
The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce posted a Facebook message saying up to 2,500 families would be affected by the fire.
