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Fox's Biscuits factory explosion leaves six in hospital | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Six people were taken to hospital when a diesel storage tank exploded at a West Yorkshire biscuit factory. | |
The incident happened at the Fox's Biscuits plant, Batley, at about 10:45 GMT as the tank was being drained and cleaned, the company said. | |
One man was rescued by firefighters and taken to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield suffering from burns. | |
A further five people were taken to Dewsbury District Hospital suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke. | |
Burns to legs | |
Production at the plant was temporarily halted and 450 staff evacuated the site, the company said. | |
A spokesman for Fox's Biscuits' parent company, 2 Sisters Food Group, said a contractor had suffered burns to his legs following a spark in a diesel tank on the edge of the site. | |
"The individual's burns are not believed to be life-threatening and he is now being assessed at hospital and our first priority is his welfare," he said. | |
"All of our safety and emergency procedures were followed and the fire brigade attended the site as a precaution." | |
Mel Bugler, acting managing director of Fox's Biscuits, said there would be a "full investigation" into the blast. | |
Officials from the Health and Safety Executive are expected to arrive at the site later. | |
Saved from closure | |
The factory was anticipated to have returned to full production by about 15:00 GMT, a spokesman said. | |
The Fox's Biscuits factory in Batley was saved from closure in July 2011. | The Fox's Biscuits factory in Batley was saved from closure in July 2011. |
Northern Foods, which owned Fox's Biscuits at the time, announced in 2008 it wanted to merge its plants in Batley and Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. | |
But the company said in 2011 the two plants, plus another in Kirkham, Lancashire, would remain open after a £27m investment. |