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Four people feared trapped in burning Cheshire wood mill Four people feared trapped in burning Cheshire wood mill
(about 1 hour later)
Four people are believed to be trapped inside a wood treatment works after an explosion which caused burn injuries to several others, emergency services have said. Emergency services were attempting to find four people believed to have been trapped inside a wood treatment works in Cheshire following a series of explosions at the site.
Cheshire police declared a major incident at Wood Flour Mills in Bosley, near Macclesfield, where a four-storey building collapsed in flames. Emergency services arrived just after 9am on Friday and firefighters were continuing to tackle the blaze in the afternoon. Police declared a major incident at Wood Flour Mills, in the village of Bosley, where a four-storey building collapsed in flames. Emergency services arrived just after 9am on Friday and firefighters continued to tackle the blaze in the afternoon.
Four people were taken to hospital, one in a serious condition. A safety cordon was been set up around the scene and nearby Bollin Mill Road was shut. Police said there had been three explosions at the site and three men and one woman remained unaccounted for. Ch Insp Paul Carroll said: “We continue to work with all our emergency service partners and the local authority to deal with this incident. At this time we believe four people are trapped and we’re dealing with multiple explosions.”
Police said there were two more explosions after the initial blast. “There is a fully developed fire in several areas,” Cheshire fire and rescue service said. “Firefighters are facing a dangerous situation as they cannot rule out further explosions.” It is understood that 20 people were working at the factory at the time of the explosion and there were “quite a few walking wounded”. Police said 35 people were assessed at the scene by medical staff, with four people treated for breathing difficulties. Another four people were taken to hospital, one in a serious condition.
Police said 35 people were assessed at the scene by medical staff, with four people treated for breathing difficulties. Another four people were taken to hospital. A West Midlands ambulance spokeswoman explained that they had airlifted a 29-year-old woman to hospital with serious burns and blast injuries to her head, face, arms and chest. “She was given pain relief, her burns carefully dressed and she was immobilised before being airlifted to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham for further specialist treatment. The trauma doctor continued treatment en route,” the representative said.
A West Midlands ambulance spokeswoman said the service had airlifted a 29-year-old woman to hospital with serious burns and blast injuries to her head, face, arms and chest. North-west ambulance service said they had taken one person to Royal Stoke University hospital by ambulance and another – also with burns – was airlifted to Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester.
“She was given pain relief, her burns carefully dressed and she was immobilised before being airlifted to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham for further specialist treatment. The trauma doctor continued treatment en route,” the representative said. According to Cheshire fire and rescue service, 15 fire engines were at the scene, along with three urban search and rescue teams. “There is a fully developed fire in several areas. Firefighters are facing a dangerous situation as they cannot rule out further explosions,” the service said.
North-west ambulance service said they had taken one person to Royal Stoke University hospital by ambulance and an another was airlifted to Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester, also with burns. At least six ambulances, two rapid response vehicles, two doctors, four managers and the air ambulance were also dispatched. A lead doctor from the medical emergency response team was also present at the scene. “We are currently assessing the scene and working closely with other members of the emergency services, with our priority being to ensure people receive the medical treatment they need as quickly as possible,” a statement from the ambulance service said.
Speaking in Bosley on Friday afternoon, Michael Jones, the leader of Cheshire East council, said that his hopes were that the missing people would be found alive and well. He said: “But with the building collapsed we are obviously concerned. This has had a major impact on such a very special village. It’s a small community and there were 50 jobs there.”
Cheshire fire and rescue service said 20 people were working at the site at the time of the explosion and there were “quite a few walking wounded”. David Rutley, the Conservative MP for Macclesfield, said: “I have met some of the people who were then when the blast took place. They are clearly in a state of shock.
Chief fire officer Paul Hancock said: “We are still dealing with four unaccounted people. We believe they are somewhere in the building. We will endeavour to deal with that issue in a few hours’ time once we get the incident under full control.” “It is a huge shock to the community, it’s a close-knit community. It’s absolutely vital they get all the support they need. It is entirely appropriate we have seen a fantastic response from the emergency services and the council.”
Police said the majority of mill staff were safe and accounted for, and they warned residents to keep doors and windows closed because of the large amount of smoke. A safety cordon was set up around the scene and nearby Bollin Mill Road and Tunstall Road in Bosley were shut. Police warned residents to keep doors and windows closed because of the large amount of smoke.
Ch Insp Paul Carroll said in a statement: “There is currently a lot of smoke emanating from the building and it is advised that residents living in the area should close their doors and windows. It is also advised to avoid the area while we deal with this incident.” One of the employees who had recently clocked off from the mills, Patrick Jones, said he was “absolutely gutted” to hear about the explosion. “I am still worried about my mates. There are four of them that are still missing. I was on shift until six o’clock and the changeover for people coming on is at eight o’clock. I have tried to get down there to see if I can help but they won’t let anybody through.”
Tunstall Road in Bosley was closed, police said, and they warned that traffic on the A523 might be delayed. He said his employers were brilliant. “You couldn’t ask for a better place to work. As long as my mates get out, that is all I am bothered about,” he said.
Fifteen fire engines were at the scene, according to the Cheshire fire service,along with three urban search and rescue teams. Charlotte Maher, who lives nearby, told Sky News she felt the shake from the explosion. “Black smoke started coming out and we heard the sirens. We felt two vibrations here five minutes down the road. I can’t imagine how the houses down there took it.
“We have dispatched at least six ambulances, two rapid response vehicles, two doctors, four managers and the air ambulance to the scene,” an ambulance service statement said. “A lead doctor from the medical emergency response team is also on scene.
“We are currently assessing the scene and working closely with other members of the emergency services, with our priority being to ensure people receive the medical treatment they need as quickly as possible.”
One of the employees who had recently clocked off from the site, Patrick Jones, told the Press Association he was “absolutely gutted” to hear about the explosion.
He said: “I am still worried about my mates. There are four of them that are still missing. I was on shift until six o’clock and the changeover for people coming on is at eight o’clock. I have tried to get down there to see if I can get but they won’t let anybody through.”
He said his employers were “brilliant” and added: “You couldn’t ask for a better place to work. As long as my mates get out, that is all I am bothered about.”
Charlotte Maher, who lives nearby, told Sky News she felt the shake from the explosion. “Black smoke started coming out and we heard the sirens,” she said. “We felt two vibrations here five minutes down the road. I can’t imagine how the houses down there took it.
“Because Bosley is such a small village, a lot of people we know work there. It’s a major devastation for the village.”“Because Bosley is such a small village, a lot of people we know work there. It’s a major devastation for the village.”
Student Charli Alston, 18, was walking her dog with a friend when she witnessed the explosion. Student Charli Alston, 18, was walking her dog with a friend when she witnessed the explosion. “I was walking down my drive and there was just a huge bang,” she said. “It sounded like thunder – we didn’t know what it was because it was sunny then. We looked over and there were massive plumes of flames. Almost as high as the hill next to it.
“I was walking down my drive and there was just a huge bang,” she said. “It sounded like a thunder cloud – we didn’t know what it was because it was sunny then. We looked over and there were massive plumes of flames. Almost as high as the hill next to it.
“I couldn’t tell you how high the flames were, but I’d say a good 70 metres into the air. Huge. The sound was really, really loud and there was loads of billowing black smoke. We phoned 999 straight away, because it was pretty terrifying watching it.”“I couldn’t tell you how high the flames were, but I’d say a good 70 metres into the air. Huge. The sound was really, really loud and there was loads of billowing black smoke. We phoned 999 straight away, because it was pretty terrifying watching it.”
Alston said the air was still filled with smoke. “We’ve shut all the doors and there’s still a lot of smoke coming from the actual factory covering the surrounding areas. You can’t really see very well.” Alston said the air around the area was still filled with smoke. “We’ve shut all the doors and there’s still a lot of smoke coming from the actual factory covering the surrounding areas. You can’t really see very well.”
Electricity North West said it had cut power to local homes and businesses to help firefighters. A spokesman said: “We removed power supplies to 165 customers in Bosley, Macclesfield, this morning after receiving a call from the fire service at 9.57am. Electricity North West said on Friday it had cut power to local homes and businesses to help firefighters carry out their work safely.
“We removed supplies to allow firefighters to carry out their work safely. We will continue to work closely with the fire service and get people back on normal supply as soon as possible.” Bosley St Mary’s primary school, about a mile from the fire, was one of the buildings without electricity. A spokesman for Cheshire East council said all 44 schoolchildren were safe and were being kept inside. “Some smoke came over the building following the explosion,” he said. “[The children] are being kept inside the school building with doors and windows closed. The school is due to close for summer holidays today.”
Bosley St Mary’s primary school, about a mile from the fire, is one of the buildings currently without electricity, according to the Manchester Evening News. A spokesman for Cheshire East council said all 44 schoolchildren were safe and were being kept inside. On its website, Wood Treatment Ltd says it is the “UK’s primary specialist in the reprocessing of quality organics, sourcing and recycling natural residues and byproducts from around the world to produce essential, cost-effective raw materials for industry”. The company has been producing wood flour since 1930 and is the sole manufacturer in the UK, according to the Boden Group of Companies website.
“Some smoke came over the building following the explosion,” he said. “They are being kept inside the school building with doors and windows closed. The school is due to close for summer holidays today.”