No deaths as explosions rip through fuel depot

A POTENTIALLY serious loss of life was averted when a series of explosions and fire ripped through a major fuel depot in Hertfordshire in the early hours of yesterday morning.

This was mainly due to the fact the initial explosion happened at 6am when residents were in bed and the streets unusually empty.

Yesterday I was awakened by a massive thumping noise which triggered the fire alarm system in the building where I live, approximately 10 miles from Hemel Hempstead, near the site of the explosion.

After a hurried evacuation we heard smaller explosions and then learned the fire had broken out at Buncefield Fuel Depot.

A towering cloud of black smoke flanked by soaring flames was visible for miles around, providing an awesome and menacing picture of the developing inferno.

Sixteen million litres of petrol and aviation fuel are stored in the depot.

The explosion has been described as one of the most serious of its kind since World War II.

More than 100 firefighters were deployed to bring the fires under control but given the quantity of fuel and its volatility it may be days before this can be achieved.

At nightfall, the blaze seemed to burn as violently as it had 12 hours before, sending yet more thick black smoke into the sky. The police cordon remained in place, heavily guarded by officers.

Houses and flats in the area were damaged, windows blown in and wooden doors warped.

Most injuries occurred from flying glass. About 40 people sustained cuts and bruises. Two were taken to hospital for treatment to more serious injuries.

Earlier on the medical advice was that the black smoke was not toxic but could irritate people with respiratory problems. They were advised to stay at home and close their doors and windows, but where houses were damaged they were advised to seek accommodation elsewhere.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes close to the fuel depot and were last night sheltering at a nearby leisure centre.

So far the cause of the accident has not been determined but there is speculation it may have happened during maintenance work. During the day hundreds of police were drafted in to redirect traffic from the area and this will be continued until the crisis is over.

One immediate plea was to drivers not to indulge in panic buying of petrol as adequate supplies were available to buy from other depots.

The Environment Agency said the main areas of concern are the potential for pollution to groundwater and surface water (rivers and streams), and also damage to land quality.

A spokesman said that would only occur if any of the substances, including kerosene, diesel, gas oil and gasoline, were to escape from the site.

As yet there is no evidence to suggest that this has happened - however the situation is being monitored constantly.

One fire expert warned the blaze could take several days to bring under control.

Firefighters will be battling it with foam and may have to seek extra supplies from around Britain, said Duncan Milligan, who lives near the scene of the blast and is press officer for the Fire Brigades Union.

“There was an incident at Milford Haven some years ago and it burned for at least a week, and they needed to call on foam tenders from all over the UK,” he said.

Justin Balcombe, a disaster expert, said he expected the immediate vicinity of the blast to be shut for at least a week.

“The knock-on effect will be quite significant,” he told Sky News. “It’s a large industrial area with infrastructure in the area.

“The priority will be to establish control round the immediate area.”

He said the blast could be compared to the blast at a BP plant in Houston, Texas, which happened in March.

He said it was fortunate most buildings in the area were commercial properties which would have adequate insurance.

With its close proximity to the M1 motorway, the fuel depot has become one of Britain’s major distribution terminals.

Reported to have a storage capacity of 150,000 tonnes, Buncefield holds massive stocks of not only oil and petrol but also the aviation fuel kerosene.

The depot is in operation 24 hours a day, with 400 tankers being filled at the site every day from a total of 26 storage tanks.