(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]

Not sure but I believe you may be in the Hemel Hempstead area somewhere. Do you have any idea how many mosques there are in the vicinity? If there's several it could be a way of crippling the UK without doing any damage to the mosques.

[milford421]

True.

I always am immediately suspicious when within the first hours of the disaster, (sometimes the first minutes), incidents are deemed, "not terrorist related".

[milford421]

I agree. The timing, (coinciding with recent threats and the Christmas (infidel) season, make the coincidences suspicious.

I like the English folklore...all too true.

[freeperfromnj]

It's too early to call but an open mind is needed.

Absolutely

U.K. Police Say Fuel Blasts an Accident

......Police said the blasts appeared to be accidental, though they occurred just four days after an al-Qaida videotape appeared on the Internet calling for attacks on facilities carrying oil "stolen" from Muslims in the Middle East.....

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1395305

[Tommyjo]

Fox news are still bleating on about aircraft in distress before crash!

One of the tanker drivers has been interviewed on camera. Before the explosion he witnessed a vapour cloud coming from one of the fuel tanks. As other drivers ran to the control room to alert them the first explosion took place.

[lentulusgracchus]

I've always been saying it must be all those Shintoists who have been immigrating from Japan.

Damn them. I'll put a stop to that when I'm elected emperor.

[AmeriBrit]

Here's another play on the numbers again.

The London bombings were on 7/11

The threat about the oil refineries was received on the

7th (Dec) and they blew up on the 11th.

[freeperfromnj]

Madrid train bombings - 3/11

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I'm far from there. I'm just reading FR and praying for our British commrades-in-arms (and for your daughter and son-in-law.)

Tell them to fill up their car with gas and get out of there till the area stabilizes.

Prudence is not a bad thing.

[AmeriBrit]

Thanks freeperfromnj for posting this link in the other thread:

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

[little jeremiah]

If this explosion was caused by a leak, which then ignited, this still leaves open the possibilities of either accidental leak or someone opening something to cause a leak. Or more than one leak.

[XHogPilot]

From an updated BBC article:
A fire chief described the incident at the Buncefield fuel depot near Hemel Hempstead, after 0600 GMT, as possibly the largest in peacetime Europe.

I guess some Brits just don't get it yet....

[AmeriBrit]

"Tell them to fill up their car with gas and get out of there till the area stabilizes."

That's what I've been trying to get them to do since the first blast.

The odor of the fumes is starting to get to them now but they want to make sure everythings cleaned up and the house is secure before they go down to my fathers for a few days.

Stubborn kids!

[AmeriBrit]

Did you see freeperfromnj's link I reposted in #770 ?

[little jeremiah]

Something else just occurred to me. If - IF - this were not an accident, early Sunday AM when it's still dark, and there were not that many workers on duty, would be an ideal time to sabotage and open some valves to cause a leak. And how hard would it be to leave some timed device to cause a spark, or have a buddy a little distance away shoot something into the cloud of leaked gas?

And would there be any evidence? I doubt it.

[BykrBayb]

I guess some Brits just don't get it yet....

Yet? You mean eventually they will get it? I doubt it. When their heads are being slowly sawed off, they'll be saying "What's the matter? Why are you doing this?"

[wardaddy]

Amen doc...good to see a kindred spirit...some here think we're militant and petty...lol

[Humidston]

ROFLOL!!!!!

[Humidston]

Ohhh, if you only knew me in person.....

Kids gave us a DVD player last Christmas... We STILL haven't used it and we're not sure HOW, LOL!

Heck, I can't even program my cell phone properly. Now I know why our grandparents never wanted some of the "modern conveniences" that we had a few years back....

I HATE DIGITAL AND I AM A FAILURE!!
;-D

[AmeriBrit]

Don't let that calm stiff upper lip of the Brits fool you.

You seem to have them confused with the French.