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Four people were killed after an explosion in a silo containing treated biosolids at a wastewater treatment plant near the south-west England city of Bristol, police said on Thursday (local time).
Three Wessex Water employees and a contractor were killed in the incident, which is not being treated as terrorism-related, Avon and Somerset Police Chief Inspector Mark Runacres said at a news conference.
Ben Birchall / PA via AP
Emergency services respond to a large explosion at a warehouse in Bristol, England.
A fifth person was injured during the explosion at the plant in the Avonmouth industrial area, but the injuries are not considered life-threatening, Runacres said.
“The fire service spearheaded the rescue operation, but sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, we can confirm that there have been four deaths,” he said.
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Runacres did not want to speculate on the cause of the explosion. He said it took place in a silo that contained organic matter from the wastewater before it was “recycled to the ground as an organic soil conditioner.”
He said the explosion did not create any ongoing concerns for public safety.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “our hearts go out to the victims” and their families.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that four people have lost their lives in a water plant explosion in Avonmouth,” Johnson said on Twitter.
Ben Birchall / PA via AP
A silo containing treated biosolids exploded at a wastewater treatment plant near the city of Bristol in south-west England.
Wessex Water CEO Colin Skellett said he was “devastated” by the incident and the company is working to understand what happened and why.
Sean Nolan, who witnessed the aftermath of the blast, said he had heard a “boom and echo” and initially thought it was from a vehicle collision.
The Avon Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 11:22 am (local time) of the “very challenging” incident at Avonmouth, located near Bristol, about 195 kilometers west of London. Six fire trucks and rescue dogs soon arrived at the scene.
“Fortunately, our local fire station is not too far from here, so we had crews present very, very quickly and they were able to get an element of situational awareness,” said Rescue Service Manager Luke Gazzard.
