December 4, 2020: Four people died on Thursday when a chemical tank exploded at a waste water treatment plant near Bristol in western England.
As per reports, one more person was wounded in the explosion at the plant in Avonmouth, but the injuries were said to not be life-threatening.
Police said they would not be speculating on the cause of the blast but added it was not being treated as terror-related.
Avon and Somerset Police Chief Inspector Mark Runacres said that the explosion at the plant operated by Wessex Water occurred in a silo that holds treated bio-solids before they are recycled as organic soil conditioners.
Emergency services said there had been a large explosion at the site in Avonmouth, southwest England, which was believed to have occurred in one of the chemical tanks at Wessex Water’s Bristol water recycling centre.
Luke Gazzard, from Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said the incident had been "very challenging".
"Luckily our local fire station is not too far from here so we had crews in attendance very, very quickly," he said. "It is a terribly sad incident."
Police said three of the victims were employees of Wessex Water, while the fourth was a contractor.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was "deeply saddened to learn that four people have lost their lives".
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
December 4, 2020: Four people died on Thursday when a chemical tank exploded at a waste water treatment plant near Bristol in western England.
December 4, 2020: Four people died on Thursday when a chemical tank exploded at a waste water treatment plant near Bristol in western England.
As per reports, one more person was wounded in the explosion at the plant in Avonmouth, but the injuries were said to not be life-threatening.
Police said they would not be speculating on the cause of the blast but added it was not being treated as terror-related.
Avon and Somerset Police Chief Inspector Mark Runacres said that the explosion at the plant operated by Wessex Water occurred in a silo that holds treated bio-solids before they are recycled as organic soil conditioners.
Emergency services said there had been a large explosion at the site in Avonmouth, southwest England, which was believed to have occurred in one of the chemical tanks at Wessex Water’s Bristol water recycling centre.
Luke Gazzard, from Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said the incident had been "very challenging".
"Luckily our local fire station is not too far from here so we had crews in attendance very, very quickly," he said. "It is a terribly sad incident."
Police said three of the victims were employees of Wessex Water, while the fourth was a contractor.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was "deeply saddened to learn that four people have lost their lives".