11/12/2006

Buncefield explosion marked one year on

There has been a plaque unveiled this morning at 6.01am to mark the first anniversary of the Buncefield oil depot.

The blaze at the depot, which was the biggest in peacetime Europe, occurred when a petrol storage tank overflowed and the leaking petrol caught fire.

Local community leaders and fire crews unveiled a small plaque made from part of an oil tank at the nearby Leverstock Green cricket pitch.

The Maylands Business Park which was severely damaged in the blast was re-opened in a ceremony. The majority of companies have returned to the site which has seen most of the businesses reopen in the past year.

However, the Buncefield Oil Depot site remains closed as investigations into the explosion and fire continue.

(SP/KMcA)

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