One dead following explosion at South Wales steel plant

One person is reported dead while 18 are injured following a series of explosions at a South Wales steel plant.

A major fire has broken out in a blast furnace at the Corus steel plant in Port Talbot.

There have also been reports of a major pile-up on the nearby M4.

All emergency services are attending the scene, South Wales police said.

Police have been unable to say whether there had been any casualties at the site, in Margam.

A spokesman for Corus says 3,000 people normally work at the site, but not at any one time. He was unable to confirm any details of the incident at present.

Residents in the Port Talbot area said they heard a series of loud explosions from the number five furnace, BBC Wales reported.

A South Wales police spokeswoman said a number of people had been taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea with burn injuries.

She added that there were still people unaccounted for following the fire, but was unable to give any figures.