Thetownend.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4517962.stm

Now I've heard this on the news I know what the noise was which woke me up about 6.10 this morning. I live about 30 miles away so for people who live nearby it must have scared the crap out of them.

Anyone else hear anything/got woken up etc?

I saw this too - looks terrible.

Apparently people in Minety could hear it too.

And on our local radio they are saying that people are already panic buying petrol around here! some people are real muppets.

At least no-one has been killed although 4 people have serious injuries.

I can't understand why people are panic buying - its due to panic buying that ther is fuel shortages.  Im amazed that the injury rate it only 4 people seriously injured as the extent of the explosion looked huge.

Are the police still treating is as an accident?

Lucky it happened at 6am on a Sunday really.....

They are at the moment. I was surprised people weren't killed as if you were near it when it went off I would have thought that you would be a goner. So they were lucky in that respect.

One bloke on the radio down here said he had just got to work there when suddenly there was the 1st explosion which blew him off his feet and he had never heard such a loud noise in his life.

Did you hear it in Cheltenham?

I was in Swindon last night - I drove back after work yesterday so I could at least listen to radio swindon!

Not sure if anyone would have heard it in Cheltenham but guess I will find out this afternoon.

Even though it was 6am there were still a lot of night shift workers in the area.  It seems bizarre that a plane was involved though.

Teh point i was making there, was that it could have been at a much worse time of the day, like 9am Monday or something

The plane story is not true from what I've heard. The problem is people hear things and report them and in the true chinese whispers way you get a lot of rubbish coming out in these things.

They think it was purely an accident. The M1 is shut for 16 miles both ways in Beds/Herts so if anyone is travelling this way today then avoid the M1 at all costs.

Glad that isn't true, otherwise could be a bit worrying.  I guess speculation is to be expected with this kind of thing.  At least the fuel supply to heathrow wasn't affected because that would be chaos and make my job a nightmare come Monday morning.

Click on the bbc link I put up, and then click on the video links which play through the bbc real player site. The pictures of the smoke rising are quite scary, especially if you were living near there.

They think the fire will last for several days as it's so big they can't put it out, just control it so it doesn't get worse and let it burn itself out.

That plant supplies the fuel to both Luton and Heathrow so i hope it doesn't affect your work.

On the BBC website they said the blast could be heard in the Netherlands?!!?!!?!

The smoke from it could reach Swindon I think..I didn't hear an explosion anyway.

Nah- the wind is going the other way towards London at the moment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4518500.stm

in fact, I take it all back. Sky News said it was going the other way!!

My assistant manager lives in Hemel Hempstead.

Find out what it was like on tuesday.

that might explain why i woke up at silly o'clock this morning then...

I was in bed with my ex when it went off, just assumed it was a storm....   :|   Was fucking loud....

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

didnt think it was the paedo coppers busting down your door? :P

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/in_pictures_buncefield_fuel_depot_blast/img/3.jpg

mental  :shock:

Just shows how much shit we pump into the environment ...

That would normally have gone out through cars and 'planes.

That is a wicked photo.............

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

i saw it from reading today

Did it destroy Luton? That'd be a shame.

(the satellite pictures were quite scary tbh)