Massive ‘explosion’ rocks UK houses as fireball sends smoke plume skywards
A huge “explosion” has rocked homes across Essex this evening (July 24) after a fire broke out at an industrial site on Southend Road. Thick smoke is billowing into the sky above the industrial site
Houses nearby felt the blast
A colossal “explosion” has rattled homes across Essex this Friday evening (July 24) after a fire erupted at an industrial site. Dense smoke is billowing into the sky above a major industrial facility on Southend Road.
The huge plume of smoke is visible from across the entire county and has been spotted from Chelmsford and Southend. Local residents reported hearing a deafening bang just before 6pm.
Essex Fire and Rescue are currently dealing with the incident. They’ve urged nearby families and anyone travelling through the vicinity to keep their doors and windows firmly closed for now, reports Essex Live.
The blast resulted in a fire(Image: peaky2234/X)
A fire service spokesperson said: “We’re currently at the scene of large industrial unit fire in Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon.
“If you live or are travelling nearby, please keep your windows and doors closed. Please avoid the area if you can.”
People throughout Essex have reported feeling their properties tremble when the blast occurred at approximately 5.45pm this evening.
One person took to social media to write: “There was an explosion near me in Essex, and my whole house shook. I thought it was over for me”.
A huge smoke plume was sent skywards(Image: EssexLive)
Another added: “Sounded like a bomb went off, even the ground shook!”.
The explosion was felt across areas including Ashingdon, Chelmsford and Shoebury.
