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UK OIL BLAST
Massive explosion at an oil terminal north of London:
“There was a loud boom and the house shook violently,” said Duncan Milligan, of Hemel Hempstead, who said the blast woke him up. “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.”
Nine news reports an unknown number of casualties. A mechanical flaw is the early suspected cause.
UPDATE. The oil terminal in question was last in the news five years ago. It once attracted a UFO:
In August 1976, a craft hovered over Buncefield Oil Terminal nr Hemel Hempstead for several minutes before vanishing. The report - No.35 in the PRUFOS records - noted: “Checks with Luton Airport ruled out conventional craft.”
In the 1920s, the site was home to the Leverstock Green Cricket Club.
UPDATE II. Blogger Gemmak:
The Buncefield oil terminal in Hemel Hempstead, where it is reported this morning three massive explosions resulting in casualties took place, is only 300 yards from the home I shared with my ex-husband ... many of my friends still live in the vicinity ... My parents, eight miles away heard and felt this explosion, which was powerful enough to move items in their house.
UPDATE III. Bag of Bears reports that the BBC is pursuing an aircraft angle:
Sky news really does have the edge on the BBC these days. It’s quicker to get eye witness accounts on air, quicker to get camera/video pics onto screen, yet in its on air discussion cooler in discussing the events. At a time when no one knows whether it was a catastrophic on site failure or an external factor causing the explosions, coolness is a quality worth having.
For example, the BBC Breakfast programme interviewed someone who explained that he had listened in to the Luton Airport control tower (pretty sure he may want to hide that apparatus now). The BBC anchor lept straight in with “So before the explosions you’re saying you heard a plane?”. The caller then patiently explained once again what he had in fact said.
The airplane theme is one the BBC keeps coming back to, but is rarely mentioned on Sky. Sky has only mentioned “a gas connection” and quotes the police as saying they didn’t regard it as a “sinister event”. Perhaps the BBC should watch Sky. I don’t mean to be harsh to the BBC, but there is something wrong at the moment with their news gathering generally, and it’s difficult to tell whether it’s the structure, the editors or their guidelines.
UPDATE IV. An unconfirmed report claims eight people may have been killed.
UPDATE V. The scene from two miles away:
There was a long low rumbling sound like thunder, as the shock-wave hit the house the loft door lifted up and clattered down.
I went out into the street and there was no-one else up. There was a strange pulsating glow in the sky. I’m within 2 miles of Buncefield Oil Terminal and the sky is now quite eerie, the sun is rising and has turned a strange sulphurous yellow. A huge black plume of smoke is hanging over my house.
That earlier report of eight fatalities appears to be wrong:
A series of explosions which tore through a fuel depot north of London before dawn on Sunday injured 36 people, four seriously, police said.
OT and I’m probably going to get my arse kicked by Andrea, but I’ve managed to get a few links together re bluing in Cronulla.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 12 11 at 05:32 AM • permalinkBogan, it’s “arcs” up, not “arks” up.
An ark is a boat, measured in cubits, and used to house and preserve animals during floods.
An “arc” is a visual display of electrical forces moving from a greater to a lesser electrical potential.
An ark may well be appropriate transportation for any number of Koranimals, provided that Sean Penn was (a) on board, and (b) responsible for the bungs.
However, in my opinion, an “arc” would be more apposite.
#4. Thanks, Kaboom. :) I was never sure how to spell that. I’ve seen it spelled as “archs” but that didn’t sit right.
RE arks housing animals during floods - they forgot the dinosaurs. Bummer.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 12 11 at 06:52 AM • permalinkMurph, Aussie News and Views has a post up about Maroubra. (I link to that rather than the msm report he quotes because I like his commentary.)
Back on topic, I’ve not found anything indicating anything other than an accident, either. Apart from Tim’s link, I’ve not seen anything on casualties.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 12 11 at 07:59 AM • permalinkhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1528592.htm
36 injuried, no dead appears not to have involved a plane: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1528577.htm
Muslim UFO’s are zapping our refineries!
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 12 11 at 12:27 PM • permalinkNilknarf, as long as you don’t abuse the OT privilege, your arse will remain unkicked. (Besides, I’ve got a bad back today.)
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2005 12 11 at 02:03 PM • permalinkIt turns out only one serious casualty which is all pretty impressive. Oh and the cloud is heading to Brussels…
Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge on 2005 12 11 at 03:44 PM • permalinkThanks, Andrea. I don’t want to be known as a linkwhore. :)
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 12 11 at 04:46 PM • permalink#12 richard mcenroe
Muslim UFO’s are zapping our refineries!
Space aliens are merely expressing their displeasure at the UK’s contributions to Global Warming™, don’t you see?
/swampy
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2005 12 11 at 05:10 PM • permalinkPlease note that the news article states that the incident occurred in 1976. And it does not involve a small black saucer running on slush hydrogen.
So it couldn’t possibly involve me. I thought I should just mention that. You know, for the record.
Posted by wronwright on 2005 12 11 at 08:04 PM • permalinkAlibi 17 is disallowed. With time travel in the equation, all chronology-based alibis are moot, Mr borderline-mutineer. Those bootleg copies of the tardis keys, which may or may not yet exist, or have existed, are the damning evidence that confirms your guilt. Hypothetically, that is.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2005 12 12 at 01:38 PM • permalink
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Nuclear facilities don’t tend to explode, just melt a little when the state starts to run them.