NationStates Jolt Archive


Explosions rock Hemel Hempstead

Liverpool England
11-12-2005, 08:24
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4517962.stm

There is nothing much to say. Let's hope there aren't fatalities.
Neu Leonstein
11-12-2005, 08:33
Let's hope there aren't fatalities.
Or chemical spills.
Gruenberg
11-12-2005, 08:39
I'm pretty sure I heard it. There was a massive bang, about the time the explosion went off. Not sure if that's possible, though.
The South Islands
11-12-2005, 08:57
The Americans did it!!!

*shiftyeyes*
Pepe Dominguez
11-12-2005, 10:28
The Americans did it!!!

*shiftyeyes*

Nah, we don't do that stuff anymore.. not since the whole Piper Alpha thing back in '88.. newly declassified tapes prove that President Reagan got the green-light from Margaret Thatcher to blow up the rig with a submarine as a farewell gift as he was leaving office a few months later.. It's on the internet, so you know it's true..
Safalra
11-12-2005, 11:07
This picture of the site is amazing:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41109000/jpg/_41109474_hugesmokeafp.jpg

It makes it look like a volcanic eruption.
Skibereen
11-12-2005, 11:18
I'm pretty sure I heard it. There was a massive bang, about the time the explosion went off. Not sure if that's possible, though.
According to he BBC it was heard as far as South London.
By the way--I hope all you dirty Brits are ok--I may not be a big fan of our closest ally, but we all still love you. I will say prayer for those folks near there.
Really jokes aside I hope everybody is ok.
The State of It
11-12-2005, 11:30
According to he BBC it was heard as far as South London.


I've seen it reported it was heard up to 100 miles away.


By the way--I hope all you dirty Brits are ok--I may not be a big fan of our closest ally, but we all still love you.

The British are your only ally, apart from Poland.

The British are not particulary a big of fan of the US at the moment, so the feeling's mutual, including the loving thing. To Love is to hug, and Americans are stereotypically too fat to hug.
Neu Leonstein
11-12-2005, 12:09
The British are your only ally, apart from Poland.
Poor Aussies...they try so hard. :D

And don't forget Morocco and its monkeys. Although I suspect the monkeys are actually less happy.
New Burmesia
11-12-2005, 12:13
Ugh - doesn't thinking about all that CO2 make you want to shudder!

By the way--I hope all you dirty Brits are ok--I may not be a big fan of our closest ally, but we all still love you.

Well, we do our best, honest...and we love you too when you put Family Guy on our TVs.
Safalra
11-12-2005, 13:25
Ugh - doesn't thinking about all that CO2 make you want to shudder!
Satellite pictures just released show the smoke covering an area about the size of London - a thick black cloud like that must have quite an effect on local temperatures (which were around freezing this morning).
Tactical Grace
11-12-2005, 13:38
Apparently, an aviation fuel bunker serving the London airports decided to go out of service. Industrial accidents happen. I doubt anyone outside the facility was injured, safety distances for stuff like this are pretty big.

As for Americans sending prayers . . . not in my name. :rolleyes:
The State of It
11-12-2005, 13:42
Poor Aussies...they try so hard. :D

Yes they do...John Howard's got piles from trying so hard.

I forgot Australia, but not Poland!


And don't forget Morocco and its monkeys. Although I suspect the monkeys are actually less happy.

Very unhappy. Rabid actually.

Beware the Morrocan Monkeys.

They're just Monkeying around.

They're the Morrocan Monkeys,

They're just.....monkeying around...
Stevid
11-12-2005, 13:43
According to he BBC it was heard as far as South London.
By the way--I hope all you dirty Brits are ok--I may not be a big fan of our closest ally, but we all still love you. I will say prayer for those folks near there.
Really jokes aside I hope everybody is ok.

A reporter was doing the late might politics report outside number 10 downing street at 6:00am and he heard it clear as day.

I didn't hear the bang and i live in Northampton, only like 40 miles away and yet the Dutch could hear it and even people in Norfolk.
But as soon as I saw it on News 24, I knew that it Wasn't terrorism.

Oh and by the way.......thanks for the prayer ;)
Kossackja
11-12-2005, 13:44
Ryongchon, Neyshabur or Oppau, all great fireworks. i personally think Oppau was the loudest.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Oppau1921.jpg
The State of It
11-12-2005, 13:47
A reporter was doing the late might politics report outside number 10 downing street at 6:00am and he heard it clear as day.

They showed that on the news this morning.


I didn't hear the bang and i live in Northampton, only like 40 miles away and yet the Dutch could hear it and even people in Norfolk.

Small world, the net....I'm not far from you, and I did not hear it either, although it was reportedly heard 100 miles away.


But as soon as I saw it on News 24, I knew that it Wasn't terrorism.


There were early reports about a low flying plane just before the explosions, but that's pretty much been discounted now.
Taverham high
11-12-2005, 13:47
As for Americans sending prayers . . . not in my name. :rolleyes:


word. its a *fire*, for crying out loud, not the apocalypse.

and my girlfriend thinks she heard it in the middle of norfolk.
The State of It
11-12-2005, 13:49
As for Americans sending prayers . . . not in my name. :rolleyes:

Americans would pray in the aftermath of a fart.
Tactical Grace
11-12-2005, 13:58
word. its a *fire*, for crying out loud, not the apocalypse.
The Fox News headline is "Britain Ablaze". :rolleyes:
Lunatic Goofballs
11-12-2005, 14:01
This picture of the site is amazing:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41109000/jpg/_41109474_hugesmokeafp.jpg

It makes it look like a volcanic eruption.

That smoke looks decidedly unhealthy.
Skinny87
11-12-2005, 14:01
The Fox News headline is "Britain Ablaze". :rolleyes:

Wow....so, no compassion then, huh? I agree it's not exactly 9/11 or the Underground Bombins, but still...someone might be dead, and surely thats enough reason for compassion.
Pure Metal
11-12-2005, 14:04
sorry to belittle the potential gravity of the situation (or not as the case may be), but anyone else think 'The Explosions' would be a great band name? :p
as soon as i saw "Explosions rock Hemel Hempstead", thats exactly what i thought :)
Whereyouthinkyougoing
11-12-2005, 14:11
Wow....so, no compassion then, huh? I agree it's not exactly 9/11 or the Underground Bombins, but still...someone might be dead, and surely thats enough reason for compassion.

No no no, this isn't about lack of compassion, it's just about the terrible, grating FOX News hyperbole of "Britain ablaze" (I almost can't write that without adding an exclamation mark).
Just because someone complains about stupid "The World Is Ending! It Must Be, Look, There's The Non-Sensical Two-Word Headline!" news channels headlines doesn't mean he's not concerned about the event in question.
Tactical Grace
11-12-2005, 14:15
Yep. It's the media hyperbole. I hate it.

It's just a fire. Like the famous Manchester Fridge Mountain fire, or every tyre yard in the world at one time or another. Shit happens. Yeah, maybe a few people got deafened or cut by glass or whatever, but that happens on the roads every day. Sad, but no reason to have an OMGWTFBBQ panic about it. :rolleyes:
The State of It
11-12-2005, 14:16
The Fox News headline is "Britain Ablaze". :rolleyes:

Makes you think what their headline would have been during WW2...

Then again Faux News thinks Britain consists of London, and London only.
The State of It
11-12-2005, 14:18
sorry to belittle the potential gravity of the situation (or not as the case may be), but anyone else think 'The Explosions' would be a great band name? :p
as soon as i saw "Explosions rock Hemel Hempstead", thats exactly what i thought :)

The Farmer Giles.

Now that's a great band name.
The Infinite Dunes
11-12-2005, 14:19
Woah, those pictures look apocolyptic. I wonder what it'd be like to beneath that cloud. So glad I didn't go home early, I might just wait until that cloud disipates. Or I might go now because I'm just so curious as to what it's like. >_<
Tactical Grace
11-12-2005, 14:23
Awesome S/FX! :eek:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/in_pictures_buncefield_fuel_depot_blast/img/3.jpg
Whereyouthinkyougoing
11-12-2005, 14:24
Or I might go now because I'm just so curious as to what it's like. >_<

Just make sure not to breathe and you should be fine. :)
Taverham high
11-12-2005, 14:26
Awesome S/FX! :eek:


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

that guys pipe/fag is *waaaaay* out of control.
Compadria
11-12-2005, 14:33
I have to say that the images attached to this article are fairly chilling:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4517962.stm
Nuclear Industries
11-12-2005, 14:44
My heart goes out to any one involved in this whole ordeal. Hope no one got hurt. Just saw it on the news, and then hopped on NS to see if there was a thread yet. Aye, there is.
Deep Kimchi
11-12-2005, 15:32
Hope everyone is safe - although I feel that we won't really know about casualties until it's over - there may have been workers in the area.

The news here is saying they'll have to let it burn down before they try to douse it.

And on the subject of huge blasts, I think the Nova Scotia accident takes the cake (who would put a combination of gasoline and picric acid on the same ship is my question...).

http://www.ordnance.org/mishaps.htm

The Mont Blanc

Probably the most tragic accident involving ammunition in transit occurred in 1917 in the port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The tragedy becan when a ship that was loaded with high explosives collided with another ship while entering the port. As a result of the collision, fire broke out onboard the ship loaded with explosives which, after burning for a time, explosded with fearful results in the downtown waterfront area of the city.
The vessel carrying the explosives was the French ship Mont Blanc. In her holds were approximately 7000 tons of picric acid and she carried a deck cargo of gasoline. While entering port she became involved in a collision with the Belgian steamer IMO resulting in damage which opened her hold and ignited her gasoline deck cargo. Blazing gasoline spilled into her hold through the openings caused by the collision and ignited her high explosive cargo. Her crew, expecting her to exploide momentarily, abandoned her to drift in the channel. Actually, she burned for quite some time during which she was boarded by a firefighting party form a British warship in the harbor. Likewise, tugs were dispatched to attempt to get her out of the channel. She eventually drifted against the piers along the side of the channel where, after burning for a futher period of time, she detonated in a terrific blast of high explosive force which engulfed the major part of the city and harbor.
The explosion of the Mont Blanc in Halifax harbor must rank as one of the largest which has ever occurred. It was also one of the most devastating. Approximately one half of the city was levelled. A number of nearby ships were completely demolished and the tidal wave which resulted carried other ships ashore leaving them stranded inland far above high water. The casualties amounted to 1226 people dead and thousands of others injured.
Homeglan
11-12-2005, 15:47
My dad works out of the Buncefield terminal, the HOSL (Herts Oil Storage Ltd) part of it (Shell, Texaco, etc). He was out on the road at the time of the first explosion at a nearby garage. If he didn't get into work early, he would have been caught in the blast.

My drums are in the car boot and are now destroyed, along with the car.
Deep Kimchi
11-12-2005, 15:50
My dad works out of the Buncefield terminal, the HOSL (Herts Oil Storage Ltd) part of it (Shell, Texaco, etc). He was out on the road at the time of the first explosion at a nearby garage. If he didn't get into work early, he would have been caught in the blast.

My drums are in the car boot and are now destroyed, along with the car.

A combination of good and bad luck, that. Better to lose a set of drums and a car, though.
Ravenshrike
11-12-2005, 16:31
Beware the Morrocan Monkeys.

Are they as bad as space monkeys?
Randomlittleisland
11-12-2005, 17:09
According to the radio there are about 40 people injured but nothing life threatening. :fluffle:
I V Stalin
11-12-2005, 17:18
sorry to belittle the potential gravity of the situation (or not as the case may be), but anyone else think 'The Explosions' would be a great band name? :p
as soon as i saw "Explosions rock Hemel Hempstead", thats exactly what i thought :)
Explosions In The Sky not good enough for you? :p
I'll have to ask my girlfriend if she heard it. She was in Norfolk, and she was probably asleep, but I'll ask anyway.
Homeglan
11-12-2005, 17:45
A combination of good and bad luck, that. Better to lose a set of drums and a car, though.


Aye, but you're looking at an entire workforce out of a job. Everyobe's being transfered to Correrton/Northampton for the time being, but it won't last.
Taldaan
11-12-2005, 18:01
I'm half shocked and saddened, and half pissed off that I didn't hear it even though people in my area supposedly could.
The Infinite Dunes
11-12-2005, 18:24
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41109000/jpg/_41109912_bruce_walker.jpg
Wow, if I didn'y know this was of what happened then I'd presume it a cgi graphic from a film.

I don't want to sound too twisted, but that is a beautiful picture. >.>
Carnivorous Lickers
11-12-2005, 18:26
I truly hope no one was killed in that blast, although I have a bad feeling there must have been workers on site.

Best wishes to you all over there.
The Jovian Moons
11-12-2005, 18:30
The Americans did it!!!

*shiftyeyes*

I'm sure we did. Any way I hope all you limeys are ok.
Homeglan
11-12-2005, 18:37
I truly hope no one was killed in that blast, although I have a bad feeling there must have been workers on site.

Best wishes to you all over there.


No fatallities, around 36 injuries, all discharged from hospital except one. 10 people were on site at the timne of the explosion. 12 Shell drivers were working at the time (bot on-site and on the road).
Domici
11-12-2005, 18:38
Damn! I was born there, and still have family in the area. No one working there, but still in Hemel. I'm going to have to call home and check that everyone's ok.

Although when I called about the London bombings the reception I got was something along the lines of:

"hey, lovley to hear from you!... The what?... Oh yeah. Funny that, innit?"
Carnivorous Lickers
11-12-2005, 18:43
No fatallities, around 36 injuries, all discharged from hospital except one. 10 people were on site at the timne of the explosion. 12 Shell drivers were working at the time (bot on-site and on the road).


Thats great news-thanks! Its incredible-the footage I saw showed hell fire like fireball. Maybe there was enough warning for people to get away?
Either way-I'm glad no one was killed and if your report is accurate-no one was even very badly injured if most have already been released.
Safalra
11-12-2005, 20:22
It's good to know no-one was seriously hurt - now I can start moaning about the travel chaos. It took my parents 13 hours to go from Torquay to Cambridge and back - about 350 miles, so an average of 27mph.
The Jovian Moons
11-12-2005, 20:38
The Fox News headline is "Britain Ablaze". :rolleyes:

Anything to sound more dramatic!
Safalra
11-12-2005, 22:23
Anything to sound more dramatic!
How about 'Huge mushroom cloud seen in London vicinity'?
The State of It
12-12-2005, 13:30
Are they as bad as space monkeys?

No.....worse.

Eternally....worse....

Their eyes! Like doll's eyes, lifeless, and black.

And then they open their mouths, and they bite into you....

The horror, the horror.

Beware the Morrocan Monkeys.

Beware I say.
The State of It
12-12-2005, 13:32
How about 'Huge mushroom cloud seen in London vicinity'?

Fox News was it?
Neu Leonstein
12-12-2005, 13:39
Ryongchon, Neyshabur or Oppau, all great fireworks. i personally think Oppau was the loudest.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Oppau1921.jpg
I forgot all about this thread. I meant to translate the subtitle of that pic for you:

"Ground Zero of the Explosion and the dimensions of the destruction in the Oppau Factory of Badisch Anilin- and Sodamanufacture (today also known as BASF).
In the foreground the huge funnel of 125m length, 90m breadth and 19m depth, caused by the huge explosion, above which the Silo previously stood."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppau_explosion
Jeruselem
12-12-2005, 14:20
Great, another excuse to raise petrol prices ...
Lienor
12-12-2005, 15:34
School closed. I know I shouldn't bless huge fireballs but... well, it got me out of a lot of last minute coursework.