One dead in sub-station explosion

killmicrosoft · 08-05-2008, 08:05 AM

One dead in sub-station explosion

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7388066.stm

One person has died and a hospital has lost mains power following an explosion at an electricity sub-station in Essex.

A university was evacuated, people advised to keep doors and windows shut against smoke and girls were kept inside a school until going home time.
Firefighters were called to Bishop Hall Lane in Chelmsford after the explosion covered the area with smoke.

Anglia Ruskin University was evacuated and Chelmsford General Hospital went to emergency power when supplies were cut.
Neil Fenwick, from Essex Fire and Rescue, said: "This is a large fire in an electrical sub-station which operates at 132 kilo-watts and supplies power to North Chelmsford.

"The fire is in a building containing electrical switching equipment and a transformer.
"This is likely to be a protracted incident and we are warning residents to keep their doors and windows closed."

A 200m exclusion zone set up by firefighters when they arrived on the scene has now been lifted but there is a protective cordon around the sub-station area.

Essex Police said: "There is nothing to suggest that there is more than one fatality or any other people injured following this fire. The identity of the deceased is yet to be confirmed.

"The following roads have been closed: Chelmer Valley Road, Rectory Lane and Valley Bridge Road.

"Parents are advised that schools in the area are aware of the situation and they should contact the school to find out the procedures in place for the collection of their children."

Sarah Packard, who works at Anglia Ruskin University, said everyone was told to leave the building.

"The fire alarms went off at lunchtime and I thought it was a drill.

"I was going out anyway so I picked up my bag and car keys and left. But then we got the message that the campus was closing because of the fire at the sub-station."

kweli · 08-05-2008, 10:47 AM

Hmm, and here's another one, same day.. again in London.

Man dies in suspected gas blast

Firefighters are still at the scene of a gas explosion which has left one man dead in north-west London.

A second man and a teenage girl, pulled from rubble, were also hurt in the blast in Stanley Road, South Harrow.

Fire crews are using specialist listening equipment to see if anyone else is trapped following the explosion on Wednesday night.

About 30 people were placed in temporary accommodation after the blast - the cause of which is still unknown.

Neighbour Paul Redmond, 47, said the blast had rocked his home: "I was terrified, I feared for my life. I've never heard a bang like it."

The courier company manager said that two houses on the street were completely destroyed and another was badly damaged.

He had been putting his three children, Conor, eight, and daughters Aisling, 11, and Ciara, 13, to bed when the explosion happened at about 2140 BST.

We heard voice from rubble'

"I threw some clothes on them and we ran straight downstairs. Bits of rubble were still falling off next door and people were in the street searching for survivors."

The sound of the blast could be heard as far away as Northwood, more than five miles away.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said a 26-year-old man suffering from a serious head injury and a 17-year-old girl, suffering from 20% burns, had been taken to hospital.

The dead man's body was found in rubble.

Six fire engines and 30 firefighters were called to the scene at about 2140 BST on Wednesday and police sealed off surrounding roads and set up a cordon.

John Gaffney, station manager for London Fire Brigade, said: "At this point we are assessing if anyone else was involved and we are still searching with specialist listening equipment."

The process would continue for a number of hours, he said, but if no sounds were heard the building would be made safe and police sniffer dogs brought in.

He said two houses had been completely destroyed by the explosion and another had been partly damaged. Glass from the blast had been found in a neighbouring street.

The man who suffered head injuries had been released from hospital, he added.

A spokeswoman for Harrow Council said about 30 people, including some children, had to be evacuated from homes in Stanley Road and taken to a Royal British Legion building nearby.

"We are sorting out emergency accommodation for everybody. Some people have medical requirements and we are making sure they are attended to."

Residents of nearby streets were held at police cordons for a number of hours before being allowed home late on Wednesday night.

Gas engineers are at the scene trying to establish the cause of the blast.

A National Grid spokeswoman said: "They will carry out some checks. It could be some time before we know exactly what has happened."

Another neighbour, Dan Llewelyn-Hall, said the explosion blew out the windows and doors of his own home.

"I looked out the window and the two houses were completely razed to the ground," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7389131.stm

truthseeker1980 · 08-05-2008, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kweli

Hmm, and here's another one, same day.. again in London.

Man dies in suspected gas blast

Firefighters are still at the scene of a gas explosion which has left one man dead in north-west London.

A second man and a teenage girl, pulled from rubble, were also hurt in the blast in Stanley Road, South Harrow.

Fire crews are using specialist listening equipment to see if anyone else is trapped following the explosion on Wednesday night.

About 30 people were placed in temporary accommodation after the blast - the cause of which is still unknown.

Neighbour Paul Redmond, 47, said the blast had rocked his home: "I was terrified, I feared for my life. I've never heard a bang like it."

The courier company manager said that two houses on the street were completely destroyed and another was badly damaged.

He had been putting his three children, Conor, eight, and daughters Aisling, 11, and Ciara, 13, to bed when the explosion happened at about 2140 BST.

We heard voice from rubble'

"I threw some clothes on them and we ran straight downstairs. Bits of rubble were still falling off next door and people were in the street searching for survivors."

The sound of the blast could be heard as far away as Northwood, more than five miles away.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said a 26-year-old man suffering from a serious head injury and a 17-year-old girl, suffering from 20% burns, had been taken to hospital.

The dead man's body was found in rubble.

Six fire engines and 30 firefighters were called to the scene at about 2140 BST on Wednesday and police sealed off surrounding roads and set up a cordon.

John Gaffney, station manager for London Fire Brigade, said: "At this point we are assessing if anyone else was involved and we are still searching with specialist listening equipment."

The process would continue for a number of hours, he said, but if no sounds were heard the building would be made safe and police sniffer dogs brought in.

He said two houses had been completely destroyed by the explosion and another had been partly damaged. Glass from the blast had been found in a neighbouring street.

The man who suffered head injuries had been released from hospital, he added.

A spokeswoman for Harrow Council said about 30 people, including some children, had to be evacuated from homes in Stanley Road and taken to a Royal British Legion building nearby.

"We are sorting out emergency accommodation for everybody. Some people have medical requirements and we are making sure they are attended to."

Residents of nearby streets were held at police cordons for a number of hours before being allowed home late on Wednesday night.

Gas engineers are at the scene trying to establish the cause of the blast.

A National Grid spokeswoman said: "They will carry out some checks. It could be some time before we know exactly what has happened."

Another neighbour, Dan Llewelyn-Hall, said the explosion blew out the windows and doors of his own home.

"I looked out the window and the two houses were completely razed to the ground," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7389131.stm

Yes i was watching TV last night and suddenly there was a massive explosion, rocked the whole block of flats. Thought it was a bomb so turned over to the news, didn't see anything so thought nothing of it. although i realised what i heard was the above as i drove to work this morning.

I dont know what Harrow council are installing to tenants but that's three gas explosions in less than ten years. The last one which was again on the news only happened less than two months ago and was in a new block of flats.

kweli · 08-05-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truthseeker1980

Yes i was watching TV last night and suddenly there was a massive explosion, rocked the whole block of flats. Thought it was a bomb so turned over to the news, didn't see anything so thought nothing of it. although i realised what i heard was the above as i drove to work this morning.

I dont know what Harrow council are installing to tenants but that's three gas explosions in less than ten years. The last one which was again on the news only happened less than two months ago and was in a new block of flats.

Woah, sounds like a close call truthseeker, glad you're ok.

diamond dogs · 09-05-2008, 07:51 PM

Gas explosions are relatively 'common' but I have never heard of a fatality at an electrical sub station. I know sub stations can develope faults but I have never heard of an explosion from one because of all the safety cut outs e.t.c associated with them?? It would be interesting to learn any details of the deceased.

niftygifter · 09-05-2008, 07:55 PM

There are several every year.
In this particular case it was a switchgear fault.

Nifty

diamond dogs · 09-05-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niftygifter

There are several every year.
In this particular case it was a switchgear fault.

Nifty

Would a switchgear fault potentially cause a fatality assuming it was locked up and the victim not inside. I have never heard of a third party dying from this?

niftygifter · 09-05-2008, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamond dogs

Would a switchgear fault potentially cause a fatality assuming it was locked up and the victim not inside. I have never heard of a third party dying from this?

It is usually due to carbonisation of the insulating oil in the switch or in this case I believe it was a tap changer mechanism. This maintains the correct voltage according to load. Tap changers work continuously to provide the correct voltage, so they need maintenance fairly regularly, part of which is to change the oil.

Once this carbonises it can flash over due to the carbon particles.
Ironically a by product of this oil under flashover conditions can be acetylene gas.

Under these conditions it physically disrupts the switchgear

Not saying that this happened here but I have seen it happen first hand.

Nifty

dangermouse · 09-05-2008, 10:04 PM

I worked in a fertilizer factory in the computer dept. before. There was an explosion on one of the gas pipes . Not a very good thing in a fertilizer factory let me tell you. Luckily it wasn't serious. But it could have been. I remember there was a no fly zone over the place it was so dangerous and there is a village nearby. I remember installing a piece of software for the head safety officer, which was a disaster simulator that you could input various parameters like wind speed etc that would calculate the loss of life in the local area. In the safety induction there was an alarm that if you heard it. It was time to kiss your ass goodbye because if the whole place blew it would obliterate everything in a 3 mile radius. Scary stuff

edit: btw they used to sell the co2 biproduct to the drinks companies ^^

08-05-2008, 08:05 AM	#1
killmicrosoft Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,674	One dead in sub-station explosion *One dead in sub-station explosion* http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7388066.stm One person has died and a hospital has lost mains power following an explosion at an electricity sub-station in Essex. A university was evacuated, people advised to keep doors and windows shut against smoke and girls were kept inside a school until going home time. Firefighters were called to Bishop Hall Lane in Chelmsford after the explosion covered the area with smoke. Anglia Ruskin University was evacuated and Chelmsford General Hospital went to emergency power when supplies were cut. Neil Fenwick, from Essex Fire and Rescue, said: "This is a large fire in an electrical sub-station which operates at 132 kilo-watts and supplies power to North Chelmsford. "The fire is in a building containing electrical switching equipment and a transformer. "This is likely to be a protracted incident and we are warning residents to keep their doors and windows closed." A 200m exclusion zone set up by firefighters when they arrived on the scene has now been lifted but there is a protective cordon around the sub-station area. Essex Police said: "There is nothing to suggest that there is more than one fatality or any other people injured following this fire. The identity of the deceased is yet to be confirmed. "The following roads have been closed: Chelmer Valley Road, Rectory Lane and Valley Bridge Road. "Parents are advised that schools in the area are aware of the situation and they should contact the school to find out the procedures in place for the collection of their children." Sarah Packard, who works at Anglia Ruskin University, said everyone was told to leave the building. "The fire alarms went off at lunchtime and I thought it was a drill. "I was going out anyway so I picked up my bag and car keys and left. But then we got the message that the campus was closing because of the fire at the sub-station." __________________ my uk poster please distribute print and put on every lamppost in the uk https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=...hZWMx&hl=en_GB *I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance. ~Reuben Blades*

08-05-2008, 10:47 AM	#2
kweli Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 3,653	Hmm, and here's another one, same day.. again in London. Man dies in suspected gas blast Firefighters are still at the scene of a gas explosion which has left one man dead in north-west London. A second man and a teenage girl, pulled from rubble, were also hurt in the blast in Stanley Road, South Harrow. Fire crews are using specialist listening equipment to see if anyone else is trapped following the explosion on Wednesday night. About 30 people were placed in temporary accommodation after the blast - the cause of which is still unknown. Neighbour Paul Redmond, 47, said the blast had rocked his home: "I was terrified, I feared for my life. I've never heard a bang like it." The courier company manager said that two houses on the street were completely destroyed and another was badly damaged. He had been putting his three children, Conor, eight, and daughters Aisling, 11, and Ciara, 13, to bed when the explosion happened at about 2140 BST. We heard voice from rubble' "I threw some clothes on them and we ran straight downstairs. Bits of rubble were still falling off next door and people were in the street searching for survivors." The sound of the blast could be heard as far away as Northwood, more than five miles away. A London Ambulance Service spokesman said a 26-year-old man suffering from a serious head injury and a 17-year-old girl, suffering from 20% burns, had been taken to hospital. The dead man's body was found in rubble. Six fire engines and 30 firefighters were called to the scene at about 2140 BST on Wednesday and police sealed off surrounding roads and set up a cordon. John Gaffney, station manager for London Fire Brigade, said: "At this point we are assessing if anyone else was involved and we are still searching with specialist listening equipment." The process would continue for a number of hours, he said, but if no sounds were heard the building would be made safe and police sniffer dogs brought in. He said two houses had been completely destroyed by the explosion and another had been partly damaged. Glass from the blast had been found in a neighbouring street. The man who suffered head injuries had been released from hospital, he added. A spokeswoman for Harrow Council said about 30 people, including some children, had to be evacuated from homes in Stanley Road and taken to a Royal British Legion building nearby. "We are sorting out emergency accommodation for everybody. Some people have medical requirements and we are making sure they are attended to." Residents of nearby streets were held at police cordons for a number of hours before being allowed home late on Wednesday night. Gas engineers are at the scene trying to establish the cause of the blast. A National Grid spokeswoman said: "They will carry out some checks. It could be some time before we know exactly what has happened." Another neighbour, Dan Llewelyn-Hall, said the explosion blew out the windows and doors of his own home. "I looked out the window and the two houses were completely razed to the ground," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7389131.stm __________________ When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion - Abraham Lincoln Last edited by kweli; 08-05-2008 at 10:57 AM.

09-05-2008, 07:55 PM	#6
niftygifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,064	There are several every year. In this particular case it was a switchgear fault. Nifty __________________ Evolve= Love+ve

09-05-2008, 10:04 PM	#9
dangermouse Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: West Cork, Ireland Posts: 4,034	I worked in a fertilizer factory in the computer dept. before. There was an explosion on one of the gas pipes . Not a very good thing in a fertilizer factory let me tell you. Luckily it wasn't serious. But it could have been. I remember there was a no fly zone over the place it was so dangerous and there is a village nearby. I remember installing a piece of software for the head safety officer, which was a disaster simulator that you could input various parameters like wind speed etc that would calculate the loss of life in the local area. In the safety induction there was an alarm that if you heard it. It was time to kiss your ass goodbye because if the whole place blew it would obliterate everything in a 3 mile radius. Scary stuff edit: btw they used to sell the co2 biproduct to the drinks companies ^^ __________________ They don't just hope for our ignorance, they depend on it... it's time to break that cycle!

09-05-2008, 07:51 PM	#5
diamond dogs Premier Subscribers Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,842	Gas explosions are relatively 'common' but I have never heard of a fatality at an electrical sub station. I know sub stations can develope faults but I have never heard of an explosion from one because of all the safety cut outs e.t.c associated with them?? It would be interesting to learn any details of the deceased.