- By Galya Dimitrova
- BBC News
October 2, 2023, 9:05 p.m. BST
Updated 42 minutes ago
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Watch: Oxfordshire fireball turns sky orange
A lightning strike has caused a massive gas explosion at a food waste recycling plant in Oxfordshire.
Witnesses reported seeing a fireball lighting up the night sky after the explosion at the Severn Trent Green Power Plant in Cassington, north of Oxford.
The company said the strike resulted in one of its biogas tanks exploding at around 7:20pm BST.
It said no one was injured and staff were working with emergency services to secure the site.
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After the explosion, a fireball lit up the night sky
Six fire engines, 40 firefighters, police officers and at least four ambulances are deployed at the plant, where food waste is processed into biogas.
South Central Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics were at the scene but were on standby to assist police and firefighters.
“There are currently no reports of any injuries,” said a spokesman for the rescue service.
Oxfordshire County Council said firefighters used an air gun and a water tank to tackle the flames.
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Several police vehicles are parked at the entrance to the Severn Trent Green Power Plant site
Jack Frowde, 34, who works at Oxford University, said: “I was sitting in my kitchen when the whole room lit up in brilliant white light, followed by a huge bang that sounded like really bad thunder.”
“I looked out the kitchen window and it was like the sky was pulsating orange.
“I ran back to capture the orange glow, which faded after about 20 seconds.”
Stuart Hosking, a business owner from Oxford, said: “We were pretty close. I thought it was the setting sun until I saw the flickering and the smoke.”
“The lights flickered in the house, then a flash, then a rumble of thunder, but a single bang.”
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Residents across the Oxford area reported seeing the sky turn orange at around 7:20pm BST
In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: “It is believed that lightning struck gas holders at the site during bad weather this evening, causing a large fire.”
Police said the A40 between Wolvercote and Eynsham had previously been closed due to the incident. The road has now been reopened.
“To ensure public safety, residents are asked to stay at home, close windows and doors and not be at the scene,” a police spokesman added.
Residents have reported power outages in Witney, Burford, Chipping Norton and Milton-under-Wychwood.