(Updated) BREAKING NEWS: Massive Series of Explosions rock Southern England

Sky News UK ^ | December 11, 2005

[Big Bad Bob]

Reports of up to Four Explosions at a fuel depot Near Hemel Hempstead, North West of London, according to Sky

__________________

Update:

Explosion Near London


The first picture, taken by a Sky News viewer

Map of the area

Updated: 06:41, Sunday December 11, 2005

There has been a large explosion followed by two smaller blasts in the St Albans area, around 25 miles north of London.

Sky Correspondent Sky Meade has said he can see flames about 200ft in the sky and there appears to be burning fuel.

Speaking by telephone from his home, Meade described "burning tongues" of flames in the sky.

The first blast happened at 6.03am - the other explosions followed about 20 minutes later.

Meade, a seasoned war reporter said he can see what looks like "burning aviation fuel".

"This fire is extremely intense. It is a bright orange glow on the horizon," he said.

Witnesses have told Sky News they heard the blast near Junction 8 of the M1. It is thought to be centred around Bunsfield fuel depot, near Hemel Hempstead.

The blast was felt at Sky Centre - more than 20 miles away in west London.

It was so powerful it blew out the windows at a hotel in Hemel Hempstead. There are reports of injuries there.

And one witness has told how the explosion shook his mother's house and lifted the roof.

Witnesses have told Sky News that emergency services are converging on the area.

Sky News producer Anwar Tambe heard the blast from his home in Luton and is currently stuck in traffic on the M1.

He said blasts are "going off regularly" and debris has blown onto the motorway.

More follows...

[AmeriBrit]

Perhaps I'm being an over-protective mother, but the more they try to convince everyone it's an accident the more I become convinced it's not. Repeating "it's an accident" every other sentence almost is like they are trying to brainwash everyone. They've been saying it since about 30 minutes after the first blast. There's no way they would know that soon, especially when they couldn't get near it.

[palmer]

9 11
3 11
12 11
I'm inclined to agree if only for numerological reasons.

[Flavius]

more explosions expected

[dawn53]

AQ threated refineries earlier in the week.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1535747/posts

[Flavius]

explosion possible near tanker ( 18 wheeler) loading rack

witness

8-10 vehicles loading area

[janetjanet998]

trucker,,,looks like the explosion happened behind the loading racks where they load the trucks

[Flavius]

3 million gallons per tank

[Flavius]

we are listening to same thing

[Pimpmygop]

Still no MSM coverage.. they can't wake up reporters on sunday?

[Flavius]

lets not talk about them...

they are useless

[Flavius]

bbc.com has live coverage, need realplayer

[eastforker]

They can load those trucks at a rate of about 1000 GPM. If a shut off valve somehow malfunctioned we are talking many thousands of gallons on the ground but early reports said aviation fuel. I wonder if this was avgas, if so, much more volatile than reg. gasoline.

[Flavius]

they were together

gas and air fuel

[freeperfromnj]

New AQ tape surfaced today urging attacks on Western interests.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1394608&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[janetjanet998]

CNN reporter live now..said they are saying "it was accidental" THEY DIDN'T SAY THAT!!

[indcons]

Some news from the "authorities" I am taking this disclaimer with a handfull of salt.

UK police deny terrorists' involvment in depot blasts
www.chinaview.cn 2005-12-11 18:16:21


LONDON, Dec. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- British police said the cause of the large fuel depot explosions near Hemel Hempstead, around 40 km north of London, is not yet known but no third party, a plane or terrorists, was involved, the Sky News said on Sunday.

A resident living near the storage told BBC earlier that he had heard an aircraft fly low in the sky right before the blast, but police later found no indication of aircraft near the explosion site.

According to the Sky news, there were unconfirmed reports that eight people were killed in the blasts, but so far all but two people have been accounted for.

The huge blast, followed by several smaller ones, appeared to be centered around the Buncefield fuel depot near junction 8 of the M1 motorway at 6:03 am local time (0603 GMT), and was so powerful that could be felt more than 30 km away.

Houses near the Buncefield fuel depot have been evacuated and emergency services are handing out gas masks.

The cloud of acrid smoke is moving south and beginning to obscure main roads, including the M40 motorway, according to reports.

Experts said all the fire crews can do in this type of situation is to cut off the fuel supply and wait for the burning out of the fire, during which there is "every chance of another explosion."

[cricket]

A disgruntled employee?

[Just mythoughts]

I do hope and pray no one is harmed. I can't however help but remembering the recent "global warming" meeting just held in Canada. I do not know what side of the issue England holds on this treaty, but if they are in favor of it seem this accident just used up their share of greenhouse emissions for a couple of years.

[MindBender26]

>I wonder if this was avgas, if so, much more volatile than reg. gasoline.

No it is not. Octane is a rating of a specific ability to resist compression induced predetonation, i.e. "knocking."

Many aircraft are now certified to burn regular "car' gasoline. Avgas has tighter production controls, better filtration and less tendency to evaporate at less atmospheric pressure, i.e. higher altitudes, but gasoline is gasoline.

[palmer]

Maybe a peaceful disgruntled employee.