Major incident declared as Didcot Power Station explodes

Just after 4pm this afternoon, a large part of Didcot Power Station was blown apart by an explosion in what the South Central Ambulance Service have described as a “major incident.” They have confirmed that there has been at least one fatality, but the extent of other casualties have not yet been discovered.

Witnesses described seeing a “cloud of black smoke” and “loads of dust.” One witness stated that it had sounded like “a train had come off the rails.” Six ambulances, two air ambulances, the police and the fire department were all quick to respond to the event. The A4130 road has now been closed to allow quicker access for the emergency services, suggesting that the extent of the damage could be even worse than it already appears.

It seems that Coleman and Co, the company in the process of planning the demolition of the power station that had been operational since 1997, have yet to release a full statement. A spokeswoman for the company has stated that the site was “under demolition,” however Great Western Railway and Network Rail have both expressed that they were unaware of any planned explosion today. Further sources have stated that the demolition was not planned until much later in the year. This suggests that the incident was unplanned, and it is as of yet unclear what caused it.

The coal-fired power station hasn’t generated since 2013, however this is not the first major incident to have occurred at a Didcot Power Station. In October 2014 site B saw a huge fire, leaving it “non-operational” indefinitely. However, no casualties were reported as a result.