This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-22486006

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Explosions heard at old Thorntons warehouse in Belper Explosions heard at old Thorntons warehouse in Belper
(35 minutes later)
Witnesses have reported hearing a series of explosions at a former warehouse in a Derbyshire town. A series of explosions in a fire at a disused warehouse in a Derbyshire town were caused by a gas cylinder, said the fire service.
The explosions happened on Derwent Street, Belper, at about 15:30 BST in a building on the former site of the chocolate company Thorntons.The explosions happened on Derwent Street, Belper, at about 15:30 BST in a building on the former site of the chocolate company Thorntons.
A helicopter and two fire engines have been in attendance at the scene. A helicopter and two fire engines were at the scene.
The warehouse was completely destroyed in the blaze.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service area manager Gavin Tomlinson said they were still working to determine the cause of the fire.
He said: "We have extinguished the fire. At this stage we haven't determined whether or not there was asbestos in the building.
"It was quite windy and the debris from the fire has been blown across people's gardens. If people see something they're not sure about, they should contact the police or the Environment Agency to get it removed."
Witnesses said the fire seemed to have taken hold rapidly.
Jan Martin, who lives in Belper, said: "I was upstairs and I heard what I initially thought was a rifle going off a couple of times."Jan Martin, who lives in Belper, said: "I was upstairs and I heard what I initially thought was a rifle going off a couple of times."
'Chemical-like smell''Chemical-like smell'
She added: "There was a mass of really thick black smoke spiralling up into the air. It smelled like burning plastic."She added: "There was a mass of really thick black smoke spiralling up into the air. It smelled like burning plastic."
Belper resident Katy Bennett said: "We rushed outside and saw massive plumes of thick, black smoke and a chemical-like smell in the air.Belper resident Katy Bennett said: "We rushed outside and saw massive plumes of thick, black smoke and a chemical-like smell in the air.
"People on the school run could neither see where they were going nor breathe.""People on the school run could neither see where they were going nor breathe."
John Owen, a Derbyshire County councillor for Belper, said: "There have been no evacuations." Cricketer Nye Norman, 22, was playing his debut for Derbyshire's second XI against Lancashire at Belper Meadows Cricket Club when the match had to be abandoned.
However, he added the emergency services were concerned the building contained asbestos. He said: "Police told us to stop playing because there was asbestos in the air. It was quite alarming.
"There is some concern about some of the roofing materials. Amber Valley Council's environmental health team are on their way," he said. "I've never played in a cricket match where that's happened before."
"My advice is that if people come across something on the ground they are unsure about, they shouldn't touch it." John Owen, a Derbyshire County councillor for Belper, said nobody had been evacuated from their homes.
A spokesperson for East Midlands Ambulance Service said a paramedic was passing the scene in a fast response car at the time and stopped to attend.A spokesperson for East Midlands Ambulance Service said a paramedic was passing the scene in a fast response car at the time and stopped to attend.
The ambulance service added that no-one had been taken to hospital.The ambulance service added that no-one had been taken to hospital.