A man was in a serious condition today after suffering severe burns in an explosion which caused major disruption.
Aftermath - firefighters at the scene of the explosion. Picture: NIGEL BROWN (46516-4)
The 55-year-old was working at Wardle Storeys, in Brantham, when a chemical fire broke out in the factory.
Fire crews from throughout Essex and Suffolk were drafted in to deal with the major blaze at 3.40pm yesterday, and a 200-metre exclusion zone was set up to ensure no-one was affected by the chemicals.
The man sustained serious burns to his face, hands and chest, and superficial burns to his abdomen and arms. He was flown to the specialist burns unit in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.
The explosion also caused disruption on the nearby railway, as all trains from London Liverpool Street to Norwich and Ipswich were cancelled for about two hours.
After that, some trains were allowed to pass with caution.
David Atkinson, assistant divisional officer for Suffolk fire service, said: "It was a chemical explosion in either the storage of chemicals or ones they used.
"With the chemicals involved being explosive, we made the decision to stop all trains passing purely for safety reasons."
The blaze was under control by 7pm but three crews stayed through the night. The cause is being investigated.
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Wednesday, November 30, 2005
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