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Firefighters injured and fire engines destroyed after industrial site blaze in Essex
About 100 firefighters battled the blaze, and officials said 20 were taken to hospital after the fertiliser explosion.
- On Friday at 4.50pm, a fire broke out at an industrial unit on Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon in Essex; a fertilizer explosion shortly after triggered a major incident, injuring 20 firefighters and destroying three fire engines.
- More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze, which witnesses described as sounding "like a bomb" before they saw a mushroom cloud that turned black, with the ground shaking and windows rattling across the region.
- Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton confirmed all 20 firefighters were discharged from hospital on Saturday, with four suffering minor injuries and the remainder undergoing precautionary checks, including assessments for hearing loss following the explosion.
- Crews remain at Highlands Farm dealing with hotspots as the incident is now under control, while Essex County Fire and Rescue Service launched a formal investigation and urged the public not to speculate on the cause.
- Hylton described the event as "one of the most challenging and complex incidents" Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has responded to in recent years, praising firefighters for their "remarkable professionalism, courage, and commitment.
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Debris rained down on me from Rettendon explosion, says photographer
The photographer was driving to his studio for a meeting when he realised the fire on the horizon was at the farm where it was based. “It was about 150 metres (492ft) from my front door, and I quickly cancelled the meeting and thought, ‘I’m not happy with where the wind is going on this’,” he said. Johnson began removing some of his more expensive kit from the studio and was putting it in the van when the explosion took place. A unit housing fer…
An explosion in a fertiliser tank caused a large-scale fire that forced a large operation to deploy. Twenty firefighters were hospitalized and the detonation destroyed several emergency vehicles.
·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources31
Leaning Left3Leaning Right8Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Center
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center
11%
C 58%
R 31%
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