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Bosley explosion search 'could become recovery mission' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The search for four people who are missing after an explosion devastated a mill may soon be treated as a "recovery operation" rather than a rescue. | |
The four-storey Wood Flour Mills in Bosley, near Macclesfield in Cheshire, collapsed after the blast on Friday. | |
Pockets of the area are still alight and dogs are being used to search for the missing three men and one woman. | Pockets of the area are still alight and dogs are being used to search for the missing three men and one woman. |
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said they would be working to protect what could potentially be a crime scene. | |
'Always hope' | |
The four missing people were believed to have been in the building and near the seat of the explosion that ripped through the wood treatment works at about 09:10 BST. | |
Chief fire officer Paul Hancock said: "There's still hope but the longer the incident continues without knowing or locating these four individuals, it is looking more like a recovery than a rescue operation. | |
"Until we account for them there's always hope." | |
The teams poised to enter the blast site have experience working in the aftermath of earthquakes in Nepal, Japan and the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand. | |
On Friday, 35 people were assessed at the scene with four people treated for breathing difficulties and another four people taken to hospitals in Birmingham, Merseyside and Stoke. | On Friday, 35 people were assessed at the scene with four people treated for breathing difficulties and another four people taken to hospitals in Birmingham, Merseyside and Stoke. |
One 29-year-old woman sustained serious burns and blast injuries to her head, face, arms and chest. | One 29-year-old woman sustained serious burns and blast injuries to her head, face, arms and chest. |
Firefighters are continuing to use water to cool silos on the site and assess temperatures using thermal image cameras, a spokesman for the fire service said. | |
They will be working alongside Cheshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive to establish the cause of the blast, he added. | |
'Search dog' | 'Search dog' |
The Conservative MP for Macclesfield, David Rutley, said there was a "really deep sense of shock" locally. | The Conservative MP for Macclesfield, David Rutley, said there was a "really deep sense of shock" locally. |
"It's something that's affected most people who live in the village, because they all know somebody that works there...or worked there themselves." | "It's something that's affected most people who live in the village, because they all know somebody that works there...or worked there themselves." |
Fire crews described seeing a "scene of devastation" when they arrived. | Fire crews described seeing a "scene of devastation" when they arrived. |
The building contained heating oil, kerosene, acetylene and asbestos. There is also a silo containing highly flammable wood flour used for making wood laminate flooring. | The building contained heating oil, kerosene, acetylene and asbestos. There is also a silo containing highly flammable wood flour used for making wood laminate flooring. |
The fire service added: "Cheshire's search dog Bryn and his handler have started initial work on part of the site with other search dogs en route to the site. | The fire service added: "Cheshire's search dog Bryn and his handler have started initial work on part of the site with other search dogs en route to the site. |
"Specialist equipment is being organised to move two vehicles near the factory which were badly damaged in the fire to improve access to the factory." | "Specialist equipment is being organised to move two vehicles near the factory which were badly damaged in the fire to improve access to the factory." |