(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...

[Americanwolf]

Leave the sheep out of this!!! They are innocent!

[BunnySlippers]

Someone said a plane was heard flying overhead with unusual sounds ... like it was having engine problems. But you never know.

It's going to take awhile to get ot the bottom of this,

[metmom]

I would think an accidental direct hit by a plane on fuel tanks would be unlikely. If the pilot knew they were going down, and not likely to survive anyway, I would EXPECT him to try to guide the plane AWAY from something as potentially catastrophic as that. Also, I'd expect to hear of reports of him communicating with the tower. A mayday of something.

(see, I'm still here)

[DrGunsforHands]

Well, the field was right next to the freeway. The pilot could have been trying to land on the road but because of some problem flew into one of the oil tanks. Kind of like what happened in Iran. Or it could have been a terrorist flying a plane full of dynamite into one of the tanks. All these recent plane crashes/accidents are starting to creep me out. Hope it's not terrorism. Part of me almost hopes it was though. Is that normal?

[msnimje]

Reportedly witnesses said they saw a plane or planes crash.

[mfccinsd]

a few earlier comments from various places if this is what you were asking about:

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

18 posted on 12/10/2005 10:49:27 PM PST by Big Bad Bob (In Times Of Thought, Let Us Never Forget.)

Latest From Sky: Local Reports.......

We live less than a mile from the depot. We were shaken out of bed by the noise and the vibration. most of the windows in the area have been blown in. There have been several later explosions. Staff on the industrial estate are being evacuated by the looks of things.

I am in Carshalton Surrey, and heard a plane flying overhead that did not sound right. This was shortly before the explosion, which we heard.

I live in West Ewell, Surrey. My husband and I both heard a very loud thud/crash around 6am this morning. We were both awake at the time. It shook the whole house. It must have been a huge explosion to have been heard in Surrey.

We live in Rickmansworth and the explosion shook the house. I honestly though a plane had crashed in the field behind us. Loudest explosion I have ever heard.


193 posted on 12/10/2005 11:21:52 PM PST by tcrlaf


Dave Franklin told BBC News: "We woke up at 0555 GMT. There was a massive loud bang which broke windows above us and to the right. The whole sky just turned orange and black.

"Several other neighbours said they did see a plane go into the depot."

Duncan Milligan, of Hemel Hempstead, said he was awoken by the explosion as his house "shook".

"There was a loud boom and the house shook violently.

"I am about three miles from where the explosion took place but I can see flames high in the sky and smoke billowing everywhere.

"There is clearly a building on fire near the motorway and police and emergency services are everywhere."


196 posted on 12/10/2005 11:22:06 PM PST by Lancey Howard

[Capn TrVth]

Me either... Not even on the dish.

[little jeremiah]

Comment 164 is from the BBC, mentions people seeing a plane go into the depot.

[Slings and Arrows]

Leave the sheep out of this!!! They are innocent!

Only the ones that can run fast.

[doug from upland]

An official report to go along with it might be nice. How the voice of Al Franken was heard and the radio had to die.

[oceanview]

not if it was a small private plane packed with explosives.

[Doofer]

WHAT plane story? I haven't heard anything.

Sky News has a section on their homepage were people have been emailing them about the explosions and one guy mentioned that he thought he heard a plane flying overhead sounding funny just before the first big explosion......

[ferri]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4517962.stm

Police say there have been casualties. and officers are at the scene.

[dawn53]

I got up to let the dog out and had to log in, LOL. So now I might be hooked for awhile.

Did anybody post this link to an article earlier in the week.

AQ was calling for attacks on oil refineries, but the article said it was calling for attacks in the Middle East, coincidence???

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

[onyx]

Agreed. I much prefer accurate news over speculation, but watching a replay of Fox News Watch that I saw earlier is too much for me to endure...lol.


I think I'll call it a night.

[Tennessee_Bob]

I think that if Mr. Townshend sees what we've been doing, we're both going to be in trouble.

[doug from upland]

It's morning where you are.

[Canard]

Sky News reporting that Luton Airport is 'operating normally' which also seems to suggest that there wasn't an aircraft involved, as they're not grounding other aircraft.

[mfccinsd]

KFMB closed up and mentioned "more explosions" and "casualties" but "no further details at this time"

25 more minutes...there's no way CNN Int'l or BBC won't have this at least semi-live at the top of the hour...that would have given them time to have on the scene folks, too, it seems...since we've been on it since almost an hour now......

...I hope...

[Cindy]

http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=841&ArticleID=1276752

December 6, 2005

"SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN HEMEL STORM BOLT"

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Tuesday, December 6. A storm bolt which hit a Hemel Hempstead house last month has been described as "an event of great scientific importance."