Major explosion in Hemel Hempstead

11-12-2005, 05:10

Sounds like a plane has gone down according to witnesses. Burning aviation fuel according to witnesses

50420 · 11-12-2005, 07:05

have been watching this since 6am... there was an unrelated live report coming from whitehall, and the reporter commented on being nervous as he had just heard a huge explosion. looks to be an understatement from the reports i've heard and seen on the bbc, damaged buildings up to 2 miles away!!! and a few eye witnesses have called the bbc saying that it was a small plane......although not officially confirmed as yet

---------- Post added at 08:05 ---------- Previous post was at 07:50 ----------

forgot to mention that the explosion is at an oil depot just outside of hemel hempstead.
sky news are reporting that no aircraft was involved in the incident...although, again not officially confirmed... as are the 8 fatalities that have been reported

BBKing · 11-12-2005, 07:33

Ick - not good. Regardless of the cause, this is an opportunity for the people of Britain to demonstrate their traditional qualities of self preservation:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Independent

An unnamed woman told Sky News: "My house was shaken. CDs were falling off the racks. I jumped into my car and we went towards the industrial estate.

Yes, I always jump in my car and drive to the sound of explosions, too. Might be a good idea to sit tight and let the fire brigade deal with it, eh?

Anyone planning on driving in the south-east today (like I am), the M1 is closed from the M25 north to J12 and I'd recommend avoiding Hemel Hempstead by about 20 miles (but I'd recommend that anyway). There are lots of roads closed around there too.

http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/travel_news.jsp

Aerial view - looks pretty damn large!

http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cg...multimap.y=138

Dazzuko · 11-12-2005, 09:06

It woke me up at about 6 this morning, bloody loud.. really shook the house - it even managed to open the loft hatch..

I live about 1/2 mile from the oil depot and can see the flames from my back window!

Russ · 11-12-2005, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBKing

Yes, I always jump in my car and drive to the sound of explosions, too. Might be a good idea to sit tight and let the fire brigade deal with it, eh?

Perhaps this industrial estate is safer and further away from the explosion than her house?

Xaccers · 11-12-2005, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ D

Perhaps this industrial estate is safer and further away from the explosion than her house?

The Industrial estate is where the explosion took place, so indeed she was going into the danger zone.
My gf and I were woken by the explosion and the rumble afterwards at about 6:30 this morning (and we had our windows closed and they're really good double glazing, so you get an idea as to how loud it was!). We live 15 miles away from Hemel

Apparently 60 million gallons of fuel are involved in the fire!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4517962.stm

Can we have the title changed for accuracy as the explosion took place in Hemel Hempstead and not St Albans?

Russ · 11-12-2005, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xaccers

The Industrial estate is where the explosion took place, so indeed she was going into the danger zone.

I guess then it's the same reason why people rubberneck at accidents - curiosity.

Halcyon · 11-12-2005, 10:30

Crikey this seeems bad !!!
I just hope its under control now and that it was not a terrorist attempt, and indeed an accident.

Russ · 11-12-2005, 10:44

I'd have thought a terrorist would have aimed to make an explosion go off at a more busy time of day, but I guess we won't know for a while.

11-12-2005, 10:56

Gather it's being treated as an accident. Pretty scary stuff. I once worked for a coach company looking at opening an interchange in Hemel but one of the factors they weren't so keen was a bleeding great fuel pipe running underneath the proposed site - on its way, I believe, to Heathrow.

andyandy · 11-12-2005, 11:09

I live in Watford and it woke my fiancee and I up too.

It also did the same trick on lifting the loft hatch as many people have reported! I can see the smoke from my kitchen window - the smell is starting to waft around too now.

11-12-2005, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyandy

I live in Watford and it woke my fiancee and I up too.

It also did the same trick on lifting the loft hatch as many people have reported! I can see the smoke from my kitchen window - the smell is starting to waft around too now.

Have to wonder what the extent of structural damage is, given how far and wide the popping loft hatches are being reported. Beeb are saying you could hear the explosion in the Netherlands.

Ramrod · 11-12-2005, 11:58

I'm in SE London and there is a several mile wide plume of dense black smoke coming across from the horizon in the north

Marge · 11-12-2005, 11:59

Makes me think as I live directly across the street from a big Castrol depot. I think I might double check with them as to what they manufacture/store there cos if that were to go up I'd be buggered in a big way

Hom3r · 11-12-2005, 12:02

The news about it being heard 100 miles away/holland exageration?

I live in Harlow and have heard nothing!