SYDNEY — An explosion gutted a factory on the outskirts of the Australian city of Melbourne on Wednesday, igniting a massive fire that firefighters said would take days to fully put out.

More than 180 firefighters battled to control the blaze at the factory in Derrimut, about 16 km west of Melbourne, according to Fire and Rescue Victoria.

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No one was injured in the blast, which sent a huge plume of black smoke over Melbourne and shut down nearby highways. Officials told nearby residents to shelter indoors from the toxic fumes of chemicals burning inside the factory.