Oil Depot explosion....

I just read that, L.E. Apparently it was accidental. London has had it's share of horrors recently, no?

It has now been declared as the biggest peace time explosion in Europe..EVER!

The smoke has drifted eastwards, but is affecting London. Outside, it smells like the diesel fumes from a lorry everywhere.

Forty odd people hurt, thankfully no deaths, as far as I know.

I have spent quite a while, putting a polythene cover over my fish pond, as the news has said that the cold night will cause the noxious fumes to settle down on the ground, and the particles (hydrocarbons) could pollute the pond. (don't want my little fishies to die).

Originally, when the bloody great bang happened at 6am, I thought that something had happened up in the roof space. There I was, with a step ladder, getting up into the attic to see if my roof was still in place.

Bloody scary, I can tell you. I could see (before the sun went down) the black plume of smoke, stretching eastwards, as far as the eye can see.

Apparently the explosion was loud enough to be heard in France and in Netherlands!

Some witnesses claim to have seen a plane crash into the building, but i heard nothing like that from the police.... not so good a year for london, this one.

Seems incredible that nobody was killed, LE.

Any theories as to the cause?

I am glad to know that you are well and that your house is uninjured, as well, Lordofthehair'sbreadthescape.

I hope that we will learn that no one died. The individual accounts at the BBC are many of them very harrowing.

I can imagine the imaginings.....

A plane crash has been ruled out (there are none missing, and no radar indication that anything went "off screen" in the vicinity).
The theory is that a pipe had a slight leak, which turned to vapour, which in turn was ignited by a spark (light switch being turned on, static etc).

This is the main depot that serves all of the petrol stations in north London, plus the aviation fuel for Heathrow and Luton airports. We were told to expect several more smaller explosions during the course of the day, and there was a minor one at about 1.30pm.

The Fire Service are now amassing foam from all over the country, and when they think they have enough, they will mount an assault on the fire.

They reckon it could be burning for three or four days.

There had better be a big investigation about all this. I'll bet that stringent new safety measures come into force in the near future.

If Boris the Koi Carp pops his clogs because of this, I will not be a happy bunny. Boris and I go WAY back.

No need for coffee this morning, Ay Ellpus? Nobody died thats the important thing. The'll just be a little jumpy around (somthing)shire. If I were there I would go down to the pub in that area and shoot the bull with the native and a pint.

So. When you tarped the pond, air can still get in, right?
I so don't want to be hearing about ... no, that's not funny.

The funny thing was that we had only got to bed at 2am, after having been round to a friends for their annual "early christmas bash" (they go away to Spain for the christmas week) , so we were very "relaxed" due to some over imbibing, and wondered what the bloody hell had woke us up.
I got out of my side of the bed and ran round towards the window, and promptly collided with my wife who had got out of her side, and was running towards the bedroom door. We sort of bounced off one another, and without saying a word, both turned round and ran in the opposite direction (a bit like Chicken Run, when they are all in a flap), me ending up standing on the upstairs landing, scratching my nethers and wondering what I was doing there, and my wife looking out of the window, and wondering what she was supposed to be looking out for.

Cool and calm under fire, us Brits.

Marvelous story, Lordofthewrywit, thank you . . .

I am glad to see you are okay and no one else seemingly hurt. I can just imagine if that sort of thing happened anywhere close to my home.

Yes thanks, Osso. There is about a foot clearance (after some very cunning edge padding) between the polythene, and the surface of the water. That'll be enough for the night, considering that the fish are in semi-hibernation anyway, and won't be using up as much oxygen.

Pray for Boris, everyone. Should I start a thread in the religeous section, to get the experts in on the case?

Every big earthquake I've been in, I've sat up in bed and just listened and felt the house rock. Except the time in the lab when I sat and watched all the cylindrical flasks and glass bottle contents sway, but I don't remember that as being one of the big ones. No running for doorways, getting under a table, running on to the street, nah.

Ok....I admit it....I'm a cowardy custard.

Phoned the Steve's today: they are okay as well, only woke up at 6.02 by that big noise.


As the Lord already said above, it really was/is the largest in peacetime Europe.


(Boss Sir Alex Ferguson might count his last days in Manchester being the second incident in the UK today.)

Hmmm, Gautam is in India, isn't he? Prolly didn't hear it..

He lives nearly as far from the explosions as Steve does - in London, I mean.

John, <oldandknew> is all right, too.