Twenty Firefighters in Hospital After an Essex Explosion
Twenty firefighters were taken to hospital after a large explosion and blaze at an industrial site in Essex, near Rettendon, believed to have involved fertiliser. More than a hundred firefighters were deployed and three fire engines were destroyed, though no deaths have been reported. Residents nearby were evacuated as crews brought the fire under control.
The blaze broke out on Friday evening and burned into Saturday, with the injured firefighters treated for the effects of the blast. Essex police and the fire service cordoned off the area and began investigating the cause, thought to involve a store of fertiliser or other agricultural chemicals, which can be dangerously combustible in hot, dry conditions. The scale of the response, and the number of firefighters hurt, made it one of the more serious industrial incidents of the summer. Watch for the investigation’s findings and the condition of those in hospital.