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Recent News: Massive explosion hit fuel depot
Topic Started: Dec 11 2005, 03:19 PM (331 Views)
Feldoon
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A fire is continuing to blaze at a fuel depot in Hertfordshire after a series of large explosions sent black smoke drifting up to 40 miles away.

Police say 39 people were injured, two of them seriously, after flames shot hundreds of feet into the sky.

The first blast at 0603 GMT at the Buncefield fuel depot, close to junction 8 of the M1 motorway was heard more than 100 miles away.

The fire, which police believe was an accident, could burn for another day.

About 2000 people living nearby the Hemel Hempstead site have been evacuated, while police have advised others to keep their windows and doors closed because of fumes.

Thick clouds of smoke are spreading to the south-east and south-west of the site.

One person is in Watford General Hospital in intensive care with respiratory problems. Another person is in Hemel Hempstead Hospital being kept under observation.

The other 37 people were treated for minor injuries and released from hospital.

Earlier rumours a plane was involved in the incident were unfounded, said a police spokesman.

Witnesses said another two explosions followed the first at 0626 GMT and 0627 GMT.

Investigation under way

In total, 20 petrol tanks were involved in the fire, each said to hold three million gallons of fuel.

Hertfordshire Police Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said: "We believe now that all the tanks that were in danger have blown up and there should not be any further explosions."

"This fire could burn for some days but it should not now spread outside the site."

A police investigation into the incident has begun, including investigations by anti-terrorist police.

But Chief Con Whiteley said there was "nothing to suggest anything other than an accident".

Tanker driver Paul Turner said he ran for his life after the explosion lifted him off his feet.

"I just saw this great big ball of fire come up from behind the building. It was about 50 metres wide," he told the BBC.

"Then there was the loudest explosion I have ever heard in my life. I got up, turned around and ran to my car and sped out of there as fast as I could."

Many houses have been damaged, with some reporting feeling effects from the explosion as far away as Oxfordshire - while it was heard in a number of counties and even France and the Netherlands.

Traffic chaos

Eye witnesses reported buckled front doors, cracked walls and blown-out windows.

The M1 has been closed both ways between junctions 6a and 12 and may remain shut on Monday morning.

The M10 motorway is closed in both directions between junction 1 and junction 7 as well as some arterial roads in Hemel Hempstead.

Motorists have been told not to go "anywhere near the M1 from the M25 upwards".

At Heathrow airport some flights were forced to delay landing because of smoke, but Luton airport was said to be operating as usual.

The Buncefield depot is a major distribution terminal operated by Total and part-owned by Texaco, storing oil, petrol as well as kerosene which supplies airports across the region, including Heathrow and Luton.

The country's fifth largest fuel distribution depot, it is also used by BP, Shell and British Pipeline.

Police said there was no indication the explosion would cause fuel shortages and warned against panic-buying.

"We strongly advise against this as recent events have shown that panic buying alone can cause fuel shortages," said Chief Con Whiteley.

A spokesman for Total said: "We are doing everything we can to support the emergency services and to bring the situation under control."

A spokesman for the Department for Trade and Industry said it was too early to say what the effect would be on fuel supply but oil companies were arranging to get oil from other parts of the south east and across the UK.

"We understand that the oil industry is meeting this afternoon to determine how the supply of petroleum products can be augmented from other distribution terminals," he said.

Shadow trade and industry secretary Alan Duncan, a former oil trader, said the oil industry had a first class safety record.

"This dramatic explosion will need a serious inquiry and a proper study of its implications," he said.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said it would be investigating the incident.


Well. Not that nice.

I'm just worried for anyone in the area...
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Subversive
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Hazelnut
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I live close enough that I got woken up by it; About ten or so miles away from me it was.
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Feldoon
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Yeouch.

Lucky for me I don't live near it. I would have had about 3 hours sleep at that point and would not have gotten up. YAY!
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Legion
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Quote:
 
Police said there was no indication the explosion would cause fuel shortages and warned against panic-buying.

"We strongly advise against this as recent events have shown that panic buying alone can cause fuel shortages," said Chief Con Whiteley.


Sad thing is, people need to be told this.

The person who started up the 'plane' rumour needs to be shot. Now. Along with any other people who make up false rumours during these sort-of events.

I will find this oddly, macabrely (is that a word?) hilarious if this was caused by smkong in a 'public place'.
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Dark Comet
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Sweet blimey.

At least it's not terrorists, but questions will still be raised on how it happened. And they probably won't be answered for a while, if the fire at Southampton Uni near where I live is anything to go by.
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Feldoon
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Ehh, you'll get some nutters proclaiming it was terrorists, and zealous greenies saying that it's "another reason to ditch this terrible source of energy". To which I would throw straw and them and tell them to build a house.
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Conker the Great
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Yes Feldoon, you have already well established you are against progress.
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Hercule Pyro
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Conker the Great,Dec 11 2005
08:47 PM
Yes Feldoon, you have already well established you are against progress.

Uh-huh. Because he feels that jumping at shadows is moronic, he's "against progress".

Dude. Shut the fuck up.
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Razzie
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I saw a report on BBC about some amateur docomentaries getting dangerously close to film it. I thought it was cool.
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Fat Man
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Razzie,Dec 11 2005
11:20 PM
I saw a report on BBC about some amateur docomentaries getting dangerously close to film it. I thought it was cool.

i hope for your sake it was the idea of people getting close for a story rather than the idea of a fuel depot exploding that you found cool

but this is a serious problem if it's going to be as cold as it was last year a fuel shortage like this could spell power cuts ue to the fact we sent most of our emergancy fuel reserves to america after the hurican hit new orleans
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Legion
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If there's a fuel shortage it'll be because impressionable paranoid twats'll have panic bought too much of it. That's the thing with panic buying. It causes more problems than the original cause of the shortage.
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Conker the Great
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I meant the bit where he said that people would use it as a reason for oil being a bad energy source.

If I remember correctly he argued at quite some length in a thread a few months ago about there being no need for alternate energy sources. I was referencing that.
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TheHypnoScreenOfEN
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terrible, terrible thing to happen. I wish the best of luck to anyone near the region that this happened.
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Retrogamer!
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Got a friend on msn right now who lived 2 (yes TWO!) miles away from it, just about threw him out of bed this morning.

Air stinks down there apparently, like a mixture of soot, fish, petrol and mud according to him. He went out to get a drink from Tesco and came back with a headache.


Can only imagine the noise waking you up with the shaking, musta felt like an earthquake.
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boogalajub
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Saw it on the Canadian News, they called it an "awsome explosion" :lol: :<_<: must suck though.
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HunteRS
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I doubt we'll freeze this winter. That place only handeled 5% of Britains fuel. Besides-there are always stockpiles saved in other depots for emergency's.

But on the topic of people filming this-is it just me or is this becoming WAY too prevailant? Imagine they'd had camera phones when Kennedy was shot-you can bet some bastard would have it as his phone's screen saver within minutes. The fact these fools got really close (close enough to be shredded if a secondary explosion occured) boggles my mind-first people would de-evolve on camera for the gratification of the howling hordes (like Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity) Then they decided to try and resurect the Coliseum mentality in Celebrity wrestling (thankfully it failed horrbly) and NOW they're willing to risk life and limb for a few seconds of grainy footage, fifteen minutes of fame and a few hundred quid? (bangs heead on desk) idiots, idiots, idiots...
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Retrogamer!
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Hmm...is that Space Cadets thing nearby to it?

Ok I know its already finished more than likely (how would they be tricked otherwise?) but can you imagine if THEY heard it....they believe they are in Russia remember....you do NOT wanna hear an explosion in Russia. :rolleyes:
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Feldoon
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Conker the Great,Dec 11 2005
10:39 PM
If I remember correctly he argued at quite some length in a thread a few months ago about there being no need for alternate energy sources. I was referencing that.

You didn't remember correctly. I'm for research going into other energy sources. I just hold it in disdain when people call them "renewable" (Set amount of energy, conversion only, not renewable. Pah) and the blatant overdependence some people, a damn lot being greenies with the scientific knowledge of a gnat, put upon them, especially wind. If you think I'm against using other energy sources, please explain why I'm for nuclear energy?

------------------------

TO THE POINT:

Hey, if people are willing to get too close, it's "natural selection". And I remember a video. How did it go? Ahh. "Yeah, it's probably going to explode some more, I'm just hoping it won't do it while I'm still here!" My response? GET AWAY YOU DAMN MORON.

And Retro, I have family near, and they heard a massive explosion. They never knew what it was. They thought it was theives.
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HunteRS
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I think Greenies always try to provoke an arguement for these kinds of power, regardless of practicallity. I mean-solar? in Britain? It's great if you live in Texas or Arizona but in a country where the defining weather is 'cold and miserable?'

Nuclear does seem to be the way we'll have to go although it raises issues-
1 Where to build 'em. I wouldn't want one next door to me.
2 The waste problem- It's got to be dealt with somehow. Remeber MGS where Barkwer tells Snake there are thousands of drums of nuclear waste in the base? Can't do that for ever..
3 Dangers of 'splosions. Remember what Rich Hall said a few years ago " Some workers at a nuclear reactor almost caused a meltdown when they were mixing Uranium in a bucket. Now let me just repeat that-Uranium in a BUCKET! Two words that should NEVER be in the same sentance together, it's those two. Knda like "Office stapler" and "Brain Surgery.."

And as for the people on space cadets....*sigh* the sheer stupidity of them makes me yearn for nuclear holocaust in five minutes...
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Legion
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Solar power would work in Britain. I mean, it doesn't have to be sunny to work. It just has to be daytime. Stick solar panels on roofs of houses and perhaps a few windmills... That would cover a lot of household power needs, especially if the excess energy produced could be stored.

Bearing in mind I was given this idea by a British gas technician, it probably ain't feasible. But, heck, if it weren't for the asdtronomical cost I'd do it. Shining roff and a windmill? Sold. :P
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HunteRS
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Well true, but from what I've heard Solar pannels aren't too great when it rains-something about it messing up the surface. Not too sure of the details though. As for wind -well why not just live in a windmill? It'd be pretty cool-you could wear a pink suit and carry a large bird around that lunges at people's genitals....hang on, that's been done before....
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Hercule Pyro
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Solar would work. I'm very much for solar.

Except that, according to someone who was interviewed by BBC London, it cost him around £200,000 to rig his house up for Solar energy.

I'm sorry, but that's just a bit too much.

Nuclear is my option, until the government decide to subsidise solar power. Unlike the Green Party morons who have a spaz attack at its mere mention, I'm able to look beyond Chernobyl - A poorly maintained Soviet plant from 19 years ago, and realise that maybe a modern, well maintained British plant might not go critical. Besides, it's cheaper - And I'm sorry, but if I have a choice between saving the enviroment for another three hours or whatever, and loosing a lot of money, I'll have my money thankyou very much.
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Dark Comet
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I'm a hydroelectric man meself. There are some ecological problems to iron out if it wants to be the dominant provider, such as planned flooding, but it is probably the most reliable source of sustainable energy out there.

I haven't much beef with nuclear. It beats pumping C02 in the atmosphere, and the measures taken to dispose of the waste has gotten better. Granted it could be a LOT better, but I'm willing to put my faith in science for this one.
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Razzie
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"i hope for your sake it was the idea of people getting close for a story rather than the idea of a fuel depot exploding that you found cool"

Poor use of spelling, capitalisation and punctuation aside, that sounded slightly confrontational. All I meant was I appreciated how brave these guys were to make moneyand fame. The funniest part was when one bloke turns to his camera-man buddy and goes "If we don't leave right now, we're going to die." In a totally normal voice! To be fair, there was a huge oil container that hadn't yet blown and would have made chargilled steak out of anything within half a mile...

They got within a couple hundred feet of the whole thing and later - when interviewed by the Beeb - exclaimed how hot and unpleasant it all was. The best part was the live report at 8ish last night with the presenter standing a good couple of miles away, and in the background on the horizon we could clearly see the blazing inferno it had become. It made me laugh out loud at how badly things escalated not too long after the amateurs scarpered.
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Feldoon
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Solar is practically nuclear. What's the big ball in the sky if not a nuclear reaction? All solar panels are doing is harnessing the power.

Honestly, how much nuclear waste has been produced? Barely enough for a football stadium. Yay.

Nuclear has got so many scare stories related to it. But if people were really against it, I dare them to live without the sun.
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