BREAKING! Explosion heard at chemical works

Breaking news!



news.bbc.co.uk...

Reports are basic...Skynews are still waiting for more information.

Locals have been told to close all windows and doors by the Local police

[edit on 31-5-2006 by infinite]

Some Billingham History

its probably down to poor health and safety (again)

...but no one knows what has caused it.

Local eyewitness;

Tom Neale in Marske, about 20 miles away, also reported hearing an explosion.

"I heard a loud rumble which at first I mistook for thunder or a passing plane" he told the BBC News website.

"The sky towards Billingham is unmistakably bright and many people I know said they saw a flash of yellow light."

Skynews have pictures..

Apparently, the story goes, two loud explosions, gas hissing and a green cloud...followed by a bright yellow/orange light

DuPont has a plant pretty close too.

I have been a member of the board for a long time, although have always been a "lurker" this time i thought i'd reply to a thread which is geographically very close. I'm less than 15miles from the ICI works and although I have the window open haven't heard anything. I will keep monitoring the situation

ammonia is what is produced and MAY being released. Toxic cloud warning being released. Its a 24 hour plant, people would have been in the building.

"red cloud" been seen.

[edit on 31-5-2006 by infinite]

Does anyone have a link tothe pictures?

Originally posted by Nventual
Does anyone have a link tothe pictures?

nope sorry.
But ill keep checking Skynews and the BBC sites. When the pictures come, ill post them

no pictures have been released as yet. I will keep my eyes and ears open. For those who don't know, the chemical plant is absolutely enormous ( the largest in europe i think) and has their own fire service in place to deal with events like this.

I think Skynews are getting ready to go to full coverge on this.

Hopefully, we wil find out what caused it.

Their own fire service?
"A spokeswoman for Cleveland Fire and Rescue said: "A large number of crews have been sent to a major incident at the ICI plant on Teesside.""
Why would they be sending the Cleveland fire department too then? Maybe larger explosion that first thought?

inf, where abouts in UK are you?

Two explosions were heard.

I think this is pretty major.

inf, where abouts in UK are you?

Kent

[edit on 31-5-2006 by infinite]

i presume that might be the case, Nventual. They definitely do have their own fire service although i'm not sure of their size and capabilities.

i have a screen capture of a picture from the scene now. I'm not sure how to post though. It was also mentioned on the news that there was fear of terrorist attack at the nuclear power station which is 20m or so from this location. Nothing unusual going on where I am currently

Another eyewitness on Skynews

"we thought it was a terrorist attack cause we live near a nuclear plant"

Of course, we dont know what caused it.

"nothing like this has happened before"

Police have no idea how this happened.t

apparently its been down scaled from "major incident"

Gas builded up, is apparently to blame (according the fire service)


[edit on 31-5-2006 by infinite]

Apparently is still an "Major incident" ,my bad

[edit on 31-5-2006 by infinite]

www.imageshack.us will let you upload the picture for free

i think i have the image sorted now... fingers crossed!

Oh it's night time over there LOL. I was thinking it's day.