3 Hospitalised After Explosion in West Yorkshire

3 Hospitalised After Explosion in West Yorkshire
Police tape in Salisbury, southern England, on July 5, 2018. (Chris J Ratcliffe / AFP via Getty Images)
Lily Zhou
12/5/2020
Updated:
12/5/2020

Three people were taken to hospital on Saturday morning after an explosion in the village of Illingworth in West Yorkshire.

The cause of the explosion, at a house in Green Lane, is still under investigation.

A statement from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service at 7:38 a.m. said that three people had been treated and transported to hospital, and that all others were accounted for.

The statement also said that crews were dealing with remaining pockets of fire.

A number of fire engines were at the scene, along with the police, ambulance, the local authority, and utility companies.

Six houses surrounding the house where the explosion occurred were evacuated as a safety precaution.

“It’s been completely destroyed. It’s a real mess,” neighbour Andy Sykes told the BBC.

“The house is at the end of a row of three and and it just looks like it is completely gone. It’s like a bomb has gone off,” Sykes added.

Sykes said that the Noah’s Ark Centre, a charity he works for, had been helping with fundraising for the family at the house.

“We’ve had lots of people contacting us wanting to make donations,” Sykes said.

“I’m sure over the course of the next 24 hours the community will rally round and we will end up with a good bit of support.”

By 12:50 p.m. the fire had been extinguished, according to an update from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

Another Explosion Near Bristol

Another explosion happened on Thursday morning at a wastewater plant near Bristol.

Four people were killed in the explosion, including a 16-year-old boy.

It is believed the boy is called Luke Wheaton, though formal identification has yet to happen, according to a police statement on Friday.

The statement said the other three people believed to have died were Michael James, 64; Brian Vickery, 63; and Raymond White, 57.

A fifth person who was injured was not in a life-threatening condition and returned home on Friday.

Local police said the explosion involved one of the chemical tanks at the site.

“An investigation has been launched into the causes of the explosion, with the support of partner agencies and the health and safety executive,” Superintendent Simon Brickwood said on Friday in a statement.

“This is likely to be ongoing for some time and we will be keeping the victims’ families informed throughout,” Brickwood added.

Alexander Zhang contributed to this report.