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Bosley wood mill explosion: hopes fade for missing workers Bosley wood mill explosion: hopes fade for missing workers
(about 2 hours later)
Hopes were fading on Saturday for four people still missing 24 hours after a Cheshire wood mill exploded, as fire and rescue workers say they are increasingly regarding their operations as a recovery task rather than a rescue.Hopes were fading on Saturday for four people still missing 24 hours after a Cheshire wood mill exploded, as fire and rescue workers say they are increasingly regarding their operations as a recovery task rather than a rescue.
The three men and a woman were believed to have been in the building near the explosion that ripped through the mill shortly after 9am on Friday.The three men and a woman were believed to have been in the building near the explosion that ripped through the mill shortly after 9am on Friday.
Paul Hancock, chief fire officer for Cheshire fire and rescue service, 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.”Paul Hancock, chief fire officer for Cheshire fire and rescue service, 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 four workers are believed to be local, with one from Bosley.The four workers are believed to be local, with one from Bosley.
A total of 35 casualties were treated at the scene, with four people taken to hospital. A total of 35 casualties were treated at the scene, with four people taken to hospital. A 29-year-old woman was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, after she suffered serious burns and blast injuries to her head, face, arms and chest.
A 29-year-old woman was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, after she suffered serious burns and blast injuries to her head, face, arms and chest. An initial assessment of the site was carried out around 5am on Saturday. More than 20 firefighters formed a specialist search-and-rescue team and started to enter parts of the site using a sniffer dog.
An initial assessment of the site was carried out around 5am on Saturday. More than 20 firefighters formed a specialist search and rescue team and started to enter parts of the site using a sniffer dog. Smouldering ruins of the structure were still being doused on Saturday. The four-storey building has been left a pile of still-smoking twisted metal and bricks.
Smouldering ruins of the structure were still being doused on Saturday. The four-storey building has been left a pile of still smoking, twisted metal and bricks. Jagged steelwork and iron girders point up at the sky at all angles. Below is a pyramid of mangled masonry and steel, with iron sheeting from the mill roof littering the site and surrounding fields – evidence of the force of the blast.
Jagged steelwork and iron girders point up at the sky at all angles, below it a pyramid of mangled masonry and steel, with iron sheeting from the mill roof littering the site and surrounding fields - evidence of the force of the blast. Firefighters say temperatures reached up to 1,000C as an inferno engulfed the mill, set amid rolling fields in the picturesque Cheshire village.
Firefighters say temperatures reached up to 1,000C as an inferno engulfed the mill, set amid rolling fields, down in the picturesque Cheshire village.
Water from the nearby river Dane is being pumped to use on the fire. Parts of the river have turned petrol blue from the 5,000 litres of kerosene released in the blast that have leached into the water.Water from the nearby river Dane is being pumped to use on the fire. Parts of the river have turned petrol blue from the 5,000 litres of kerosene released in the blast that have leached into the water.
The inflammable liquid ignited in the blaze, with firefighters met by a river of fire as they arrived at the site on Friday morning as the liquid leaked from cylinders. The flammable liquid ignited in the blaze, with firefighters met by a river of fire as they arrived at the site on Friday morning, as the liquid leaked from cylinders.
Dozens of weary-looking firefighters, faces, gloves and uniforms blackened from soot, were still working on Saturday afternoon as the air remained thick with acrid smoke. Dozens of weary looking firefighters – faces, gloves and uniforms blackened from soot – were still working on Saturday afternoon as the air remained thick with acrid smoke.
Across the road leading into the mill, the windows and even window frames have been blown out of some homes in a row of terraces cottages, a piece of iron sheeting blasted from the mill coming to rest on one roof. Across the road leading into the mill, windows and some window frames have been blown out of several homes in a row of terraces cottages, a piece of iron sheeting blasted from the mill coming to rest on one roof.
Alex Waller, head of service delivery at Cheshire fire and rescue service, said: “We are going to keep going until we find or locate any casualties or any people. It is really difficult, really challenging, really dangerous. We are painstakingly moving through all of the wreckage ... and see if we can find anybody.” Alex Waller, head of service delivery at Cheshire fire and rescue service, said: “We are going to keep going until we find or locate any casualties or any people. It is really difficult, really challenging, really dangerous. We are painstakingly moving through all of the wreckage ... to see if we can find anybody.”
Tony Brown, of Merseyside fire and rescue service, who is acting as a search and rescue expert adviser, said: “The process is slow and steady. We have got a rough idea of where the people are, from intelligence before the incident and from running the search dogs over the pile. We are not going to give up, in the hope we do find somebody.” Tony Brown, of Merseyside fire and rescue service, who is acting as a search-and-rescue expert adviser, said: “The process is slow and steady. We have got a rough idea of where the people are, from intelligence before the incident and from running the search dogs over the pile. We are not going to give up, in the hope we do find somebody.”