(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...

[eyespysomething]

mark for news watching

[jacquej]

Uh-OH!

Keep us posted!

[ncountylee]

First thought is ROP but I have no information.

[MJY1288]

Prayers for our brothers and sisters across the pond

[msnimje]

Is the fuel depot near a populated area? What kind of Fuel?

[FairOpinion]

I hope it's an accident and not terrorists.


Terror threat to 'crowded areas' (Nationwide Warning in UK)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1538138/posts

SCOTLAND YARD has issued a nationwide alert that Islamist terrorist cells may be plotting a Christmas bombing campaign. The warning was distributed to police chiefs nine days ago by the Yard’s anti-terrorist branch. It follows a series of operations by police and MI5 aimed at disrupting possible attacks by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda.

[Humidston]

Oooooh boy. And here I was - getting ready for bed.

[Big Bad Bob]

This from the BBC

A series of large explosions have taken place near Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire.
The blast is thought to have happened at about 0600 GMT, in the vicinity of the Bunsfield Oil depot, close to the junction 8 of the M1 motorway.

Residents in the area, which is 10 miles from Luton Airport, reported hearing a "loud boom".

[onyx]

Rethinking my post to you on the other thread.

[LibWhacker]

According to Zawahiri, bin Laden said to do this just last week.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I was just about to go to bed...now I have to make sure all is well across the pond before I go to bed. Sleep can wait.

Hope all is well.

[Big Bad Bob]

Well, flames are near the M1, there is plumes of thick black smoke, flames are extremely high according to eyewitnesses, damage is over a vast area, with broken windows at the Ramada Hotel, Nr Hemel Hempstead.

[Sir Gawain]

Be on the lookout for White Christian males, or it could be an isolated incident! < /sarc >

[Big Bad Bob]

I was awoken by my mum telling me about this. People are reporting that they heard this in West London and as far as Maidenhead, Surrey, which is at least 40 miles away.

[MJY1288]

LOL, I know what you mean... I make the poor decision to refresh the browser while on FR and Breaking News happens and my plans for a good nights sleep go out the window :-)

[FairOpinion]

AM, Please post direct link to article, there is one now:


Explosion Near London

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1205711,00.html

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

[Big Bad Bob]

This is a very fast moving story, and there is rumours, just rumours that a plane went down. Now, these are just reports from eyewitnesses

[blogblogginaway]

LONDON (Reuters) - A large explosion was reported north of London by witnesses ringing into British media early on Sunday.

One, identified only as Heather, said she had hear a loud blast near the commuter town of Hemel Hempstead and could see sheets of flame soaring into the sky.

"There is a fuel depot nearby," she told BBC Television. "There are lots of houses damaged."

Police were not immediately available for comment but another eye witness also said he thought there had been an explosion at the fuel depot although Luton airport is relatively nearby.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-12-11T063632Z_01_FOR123780_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-EXPLOSION.xml

[papertyger]

Be on the lookout for White Christian males, or it could be an isolated incident!

Yup. My first thought, too.

The Militant Wing of the Salvation Army, again! The blaggards...