20 firefighters taken to hospital after fire at industrial unit in Essex
Fire crews were called to Southend Road at 4.50pm on Friday
Firefighters in Essex were faced with a “large and rapidly developing fire” on Friday evening following a fertiliser explosion, a fire chief has said.
Fire crews were called to the blaze on Southend Road, between East Hanningfield and Rettendon, at 4.50pm on Friday.
Rick Hylton, chief fire officer/chief executive at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, told a media conference on Saturday afternoon that multiple fire engines were destroyed in the response.
He said: “The fire and explosion has also destroyed three fire engines and two officer cars that were being used to respond to the incident. This underlines the scale and intensity of the conditions our crews faced.
“I also want to provide an update on the welfare of our firefighters. I can confirm that 20 firefighters attended hospital following the incident.
“Of that 20, four suffered minor injuries, and the remainder were precautionary assessments, including checks for issues such as hearing loss following the explosion.
“I am pleased to confirm all of those firefighters have now been discharged from hospital.”