Four killed in blast at British waste water plant
- A fifth person was hurt during an explosion at the facility near Bristol, but the injuries are not thought to be life-threatening
- Police say the incident was not terror-related
Four people have died following an explosion at a waste water treatment plant near the southwest England city of Bristol, police said on Thursday.
Three Wessex Water employees and one contractor died in the incident, which is not being treated as terror-related, Avon and Somerset Police Chief Inspector Mark Runacres said at a media briefing.
A fifth person was injured during the explosion at the plant in the industrial area of Avonmouth, but the injuries are not considered life-threatening, Runacres said.
“The fire service led the rescue operation but sadly, despite the best efforts of all those involved, we can confirm there have been four fatalities,” he said.
Runacres would not speculate on the cause of the explosion. He said it took place in a silo holding organic matter from sewage before it “is recycled to land as an organic soil conditioner”.
He said the explosion did not create any ongoing concerns for public safety.