Gas explosion on Effingham Rd in October 1973.

[Thomas micha 10]

Hi Everyone

 

first of all the date was definitely 1973 when the gas tank exploded. I tried to give an explanation of what I saw last year but for some reason it didn’t register on the Forum site.

 

On the day of the blast I was on the top floor of the building on Bernard road that has been a kids play centre for a number of years but formerly was owned by Spear and  Jackson. I was on the top floor that looked down to the left over the tanks on Effingham Road. The time was just after lunch and I was staring out of the window. The weather was fine and I think sunny as I recall all the windows on the back of building being wide open. They were the type that opened with a rope.

 

as I looked across the area the most horrendous sight I would ever witness in my lifetime occurred. The force of the blast blew everyone of the windows closed but they didn’t break.The whole structure of the tank plates and girders and pretty much everything that will have been inside went I estimate around 150 into the air amidst a ball of dark red flame and black smoke and when it got the point of no return down it went again causing a huge cloud of dust and rubbish.

 

i continued to look at what was happening for around half an hour a truly horrific memory as I was certain loss of life had occurred. The sight I will never forget that still upsets me was the sight of rescuers running up the steps of the neighbouring tank trying to get to one of the poor souls who had been thrown onto the side of the tank more that half way up the structure.

 

i can see by reading information that has been written on the Forum that there is confusion about the date and what happened. I suppose by some horrible fluke I might have been the only person who was actually looking down on the tanks as the blast occurred.

 

Tom