AT LEAST 20 firefighters have been injured and three fire engines destroyed following a fiery explosion that ripped through an industrial site.
At 5pm yesterday, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service raced to battle a blaze in East Hanningfield, , on Southend Road.
At least 20 firefighters were taken to hospital following the incident Credit: Scott Huntley/HVC
Three fire engines were destroyed in the fire Credit: Stephen Huntley/HVC
Firefighters in Essex were faced with a “large and rapidly developing fire” on Friday evening following a fertiliser explosion.
This lead to a major incident being declared and over 100 firefighters being sent to the scene.
At least 20 firefighters were taken to hospital following the incident, with four suffering minor injuries.
The remainder were precautionary assessments, including checks for issues such as hearing loss following the explosion.
At 4.50pm yesterday afternoon, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service received the first emergency callsCredit: Refer to source
Firefighters faced a large and rapidly developing fire involving several industrial units Credit: Paul Edwards
All those firefighters have now been discharged from hospital.
The fire and explosion also destroyed three fire engines and two officer cars that were being used to tackle the inferno.
Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton said that “this underlines the scale and intensity of the conditions our crews faced”.
Firefighters remain at the scene to deal with remaining hotspots, but the fire is now under control.
Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton added: “Our work now moves into the next phase. Firefighters will remain at the scene in order to bring the incident to a safe resolution.
“A formal investigation into the cause of the incident has already begun.
“It is important that we do not speculate on the cause until that investigation has been completed.”
While on the scene, firefighters said fertiliser inside one of the units exploded as the blast sent shock waves across the county.
The blast could be heard from Southend-on-Sea, around 15 miles away from the area.
The disaster took place at Highlands Farm, with a number of other buildings and businesses in the vicinity, including a metal manufacturing company.
Residents have been told to keep their windows and doors shut and people should avoid the area.
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