This article may be excessively based on contemporary reporting. (March 2024) |
Date | 3 December 2020 |
---|---|
Time | 11:20 GMT |
Venue | Bristol Bioresources and Renewable Energy Park |
Location | Avonmouth, Bristol, United Kingdom |
Coordinates | 51°30′46″N 2°40′35″W / 51.51264°N 2.67641°W |
Deaths | 4 |
Non-fatal injuries | 1 |
On 3 December 2020, at about 11:20 GMT, a silo containing biosolids exploded in Avonmouth, Bristol, UK, killing four men, including a 16-year old apprentice,[1] and injuring another person.[2] Avon and Somerset Police declared a major incident,[3][2] and a doctor and specialist paramedic in critical care from the nearby Great Western Air Ambulance headquarters attended the incident by both their rapid response car and emergency helicopter.[4][3]
The sewage treatment and food waste site is operated by GENeco,[5] a subsidiary of Wessex Water.[3][6] Its products include biomethane produced by anaerobic digestion, which is supplied to bus operators, among them Bristol Community Transport who operate one of the MetroBus routes.[7][5]
Unconfirmed evidence obtained by The Bristol Cable suggests the men were using angle grinders on the top of a silo where methane could have accumulated, without adequate controls to prevent ignition.[8] The official investigation remains in progress as of December 2021.[9]