Three large explosions have taken place at an oil depot near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Police say there have been casualties, and officers are at the scene. They are describing it as a major incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first blast happened at 0603 GMT, at the Buncefield oil depot, close to the junction 8 of the M1 motorway 10 miles from Luton Airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The M1 has been closed both ways. Residents up to 30 miles from the scene reported hearing a "loud boom".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those living nearby have been evacuated. Many houses have been damaged, with some reporting feeling effects from the explosion as far away as Oxfordshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eye witnesses reported buckled front doors, cracked walls and shattered windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Luton airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No further details were available, he added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Smell of gas'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBC correspondent Sinead Wilson, who lives in nearby St Albans said there was a huge plume of smoke covering the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"There is a smell of gas, lots of fire engines, police cars in the area," she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"From where I am it is just black smoke, I can't see any flames. I did get very close to the scene of the accident and was moved on very swiftly by the police, but I did see flames from there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It looked to me as if entire depot was under fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plume of smoke after blast, scene from Luton

 

 

 

Police are describing it as a major incident

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"My husband and I both jumped out of bed this morning, thought a plane had come down. We ran in the street, lots of neighbours did the same."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eye witness Sam Matton, who lives half-a-mile from the depot told BBC News: "The sky is sort of orange. The flames have got to be 60ft up in the air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The loft hatch in my house has actually fallen out, my neighbour's window has actually broken from the impact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am about three miles from where the explosion took place but I can see flames high in the sky and smoke billowing everywhere

 

 

 

Duncan Milligan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"There was a first major explosion and about three explosions after that."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Franklin told BBC News: "There was a massive loud bang which broke windows above us and to the right. The whole sky just turned orange and black."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duncan Milligan, of Hemel Hempstead, said he was awoken by the explosion as his house "shook".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"There was a loud boom and the house shook violently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I am about three miles from where the explosion took place but I can see flames high in the sky and smoke billowing everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"There is clearly a building on fire near the motorway and police and emergency services are everywhere."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Vatty said: "There have been four subsequent very loud explosions, but the main one was just after six.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The impression was that it was a clap of thunder, but as soon as we got up we saw the flames. We had the garage door blown in, the front door was also blown in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am about 5 miles from here and i heard all 3 explosions. The first one woke me up and it was loud as hell. I could see falmes on the horizon and now can see the huge pillar of smoke rising from it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am contemplating whether or not it is a terroist attack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is basically what i can see from my house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When new news comes out i will keep this updated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone else hear it or have any thoughts?

I couldnt sleep and so i woke up (7:30am) and turned on the TV and saw this :(

Terrorist attack? I think not. :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone around the area is okay.

Terrorist attack? I think not. :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can't rule out the possibility, you never know. For example the London bombings... They thought it was a power surge at first and it turned out to be a terroist attack...

Yeah it effected me. I was woken up by a huge bang followed by my house shaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got a picture at 8.30 from my road:

 

 

 

Click here for the picture (couldnt post, was way too big)

wow for 8.30 in the morning that is dark from smoke.. i am a bit further away.. But the explosion was still so loud

Yeah it effected me. I was woken up by a huge bang followed by my house shaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got a picture at 8.30 from my road:

 

 

 

Click here for the picture (couldnt post, was way too big)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

whereabouts you from?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If it was a terroist attack ill give everyone on tip.it a mil each :D :roll: I was already awake at the time, dunno why, gave me a shock. It was so dam loud and I could hear it echoing across the vast field at the back of my house. One small window was open in our spare room which resulting in the loft entrance shaking which made even more noise.

Highly unlikely to be a terrorist attack. It's just now whenever the media hears the words "explosion" and "big" they think "Al-Queda" or whatever. i hope everyone is okay :(

A simple accident seems a little more likely than a terrorist attack imho, these things have blown up before. I remember my dad telling be about when the Shell oil storage in Pernis, near Rotterdam blew up. All the windows blown out of several flat buildings in the area...

Just saw the pictures on the itv news.

 

 

 

Pretty large area of the depot that is still burning.

 

 

 

whereabouts you from?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If it was a terroist attack ill give everyone on tip.it a mil each :D :roll: I was already awake at the time, dunno why, gave me a shock. It was so dam loud and I could hear it echoing across the vast field at the back of my house. One small window was open in our spare room which resulting in the loft entrance shaking which made even more noise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was exactly the same for me Ant. All our loft hatches fell out including one that is just a board meaning that it must have been lifted up and fallen back down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was also awake at the time. Thought my house was falling down

I live a couple of miles away from it,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just looked put the window and there is still lot of smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It woke me up this morning and I thought it was an earthquake or something.

 

 

 

whereabouts you from?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A mile away from the oil depot.

I live a couple of miles away from it,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...You live in London...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it's a near miracle that there have been no fatalities (as yet). At least we can be thankful for that.

I live in harpenden woke me up :D nearly sh*t myself lols and its junction 6 - 10 on the m1 now, no school for me or anyone at SJL btw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cya hope nobody got hurt btw, will this bring oil prices up?

Thats a BIG plume of smoke! :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

satelite picture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added IMG tags to pics. ~misterxman

Yeah if i could find my camera charger i'd show you a few pics i took earlier. It covered the whole sky basically over my house. Didn't wake me though. Sooounnd asleep. :P

 

I live a couple of miles away from it,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...You live in London...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Albans actually, but london is close enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The smoke's given me tickle in my throat

 

 

I live a couple of miles away from it,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...You live in London...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Albans actually, but london is close enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The smoke's given me tickle in my throat

London is 30 miles away from Hemel Hampsted.

Turns out my sister was staying 3 miles down the road from where it happened :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She heard the initial blast at 6amish, it pretty much woke everyone up but being typically her she dozed off again and didn't hear the other blasts. She was fine but apparently the plume of smoke was ginormous.

i live in harpenden too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the first one was the massive explosion, soon after 6 am, thats what woke everyone up, i thought it was a storm though so i went back to sleep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

there were 3 more smaller explosions in the next 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i drove past it yesterday about 11 hours after the actual explosion, the smoke plume was huge, like a massive cloud but i didnt get a photo :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it would be safe to say no one died because of it, but it will probably mean there will be fuel shortages in the south east :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

still i miss tuesday of school aswell so its not all bad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frale got Ko'ed by t3h loft hatch :oops: :cry:

It was amazing the images we saw on the news. So amazed no one got killed (yet). :shock:

It was amazing the images we saw on the news. So amazed no one got killed (yet). :shock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And let us pray that it stays that way.

Wow hope everyone is ok.

It's been put out, now. Just letting people who don't watch the news, read papers, or listen to the radio. :roll:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Mitch-