Explosions Rock London Fuel Depot

Update: Early reports of eight dead appear to have been corrected to 36 injured, four seriously.

Several photos here. Current reports suggest eight dead.

A series of explosions at one of Britain's largest oil depots shook an area north of London Sunday, shattering windows and sending billowing clouds of smoke and flames high into the sky. Police said the blasts appeared to be accidental.

The oil depot is near an airport and some residents reported hearing an aircraft flying low overhead shortly before the first explosion at around 6 a.m. But area police issued a statement saying there was "nothing to suggest a plane was involved."

The al-Qaida terror network and other terrorist groups have threatened to target fuel depots. But police said there was no indication the blasts were acts of terrorism.

Comments

[alleycat]

"The first blast happened at 0603 GMT at the Buncefield fuel depot, close to junction 8 of the M1 motorway and was heard more than 100 miles away."
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Heard more than 100 miles away! I'll bet everyone in earshot was simply terrified. I probably would have been thinking terrorist attack and getting my emergency supplies ready! That's a massive explosion.