Fire chief gives major update on Essex explosion

• A large industrial blaze, caused by a fertiliser explosion, occurred at an industrial unit in Essex on Friday evening, leading to a major incident declaration.
• The intense fire destroyed three fire engines and two officer cars belonging to the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Rick Hylton, chief fire officer/chief executive at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said on Saturday.
• Twenty firefighters were taken to hospital following the incident, he said; four sustained minor injuries, while the others received precautionary assessments, including checks for hearing loss.
• All hospitalised firefighters have since been discharged, and nearby residents were evacuated due to the scale of the inferno.
• Although the fire is now under control, firefighters will remain at the scene over the weekend to deal with remaining hotspots and support the recovery phase.

IN FULL

Twenty firefighters taken to hospital and three fire engines destroyed after fertiliser explosion causes huge blaze