The Chief Executive of Bath-based Wessex Water, Colin Skellett, has said the company is “absolutely devastated” that the incident at their site in Avonmouth in Bristol resulted in four fatalities.
The GENeco site owned by Wessex Water in Avonmouth | Image © Google 2020
Emergency services were called at around 11.20am yesterday morning, Thursday 3rd December, to reports of a large explosion involving one of the chemical tanks at the Wessex Water site off Kings Weston Lane.
A rescue operation was led by Avon Fire & Rescue Service, but despite the best efforts of those involved, four people died at the scene.
The deaths included three employees of Wessex Water and one contractor.
Specially trained officers made contact with each of the families of those individuals and informed them of the news.
Chief Inspector Mark Runacres said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies go out to them.
“A fifth person was also injured but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“A thorough investigation will be carried out into what happened today, involving a number of agencies and the health and safety executive in due course and we will not be speculating on the cause of the explosion while such work is being undertaken.
“What we can confirm though is this is not being treated as terror-related incident. The explosion happened in a silo that holds treated biosolids before it is recycled to land as an organic soil conditioner.
“I can reassure people living in the nearby area that there is not believed to be any ongoing public safety concerns following today’s events.
“I would finally like to pay tribute to all the emergency services who have assisted with today’s operation in incredibly difficult and challenging circumstances.”
Wessex Water Chief Executive Colin Skellett said: “We are absolutely devastated that the tragic incident at our site…has resulted in four fatalities.
“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those involved.
“We are working with the Health and Safety Executive to understand what happened and why.”
Part of the role of the waste management site in Avonmouth, run under Wessex Water’s GENeco brand, is the conversion of food waste into electricity and biomethane.
Food waste collected across Bath & North East Somerset is taken to the site, where biogas from the recycling process is harnessed, and the remaining solids are used as sustainable agricultural biofertiliser.
Biosolids, which were contained in the tank involved in the explosion, are a mixture of the end products of sewage sludge and food waste, ready to be used as fertiliser.
PCC Sue Mountstevens added: “My thoughts are with the loved ones of the four people who lost their lives in the devastating explosion in Avonmouth.
“The families of those people, who were working at Wessex Water’s Bristol water recycling centre, have suffered a tragic loss and the impact of this awful incident will be felt by their colleagues and the wider community in Bristol.
“I’d like to thank the valiant efforts of the emergency services in attendance including our police officers, firefighters and paramedics, who contended with difficult circumstances when responding to this terrible tragedy.”
