Lightning strike triggers gas explosion in Oxford plant

A food waste recycling plant in Oxfordshire was rocked by a colossal gas explosion on Monday evening, October 2, after being struck by lightning.

Severn Trent Green Power, the company responsible for processing food waste at the facility in Yarnton, confirmed the incident.

In a statement, the company stated,

“Severn Trent Green Power can confirm that at around 7.20 pm this evening, a digester tank at its Cassington anaerobic digestion facility near Yarnton, Oxfordshire, was struck by lightning, resulting in the biogas within that tank igniting.

“We are working with the emergency services to secure the site and will provide further comments in due course.”

Emergency services, including 40 firefighters, quickly responded to the scene. Fortunately, South Central Ambulance Service reported that no casualties were reported despite the magnitude of the explosion.

Thames Valley Police also dispatched officers to the site and issued a statement at 9.20 pm, saying,

“Our officers are currently at the scene of a fire at a waste plant near Yarnton, Oxfordshire. It is believed that lightning struck gas containers at the site during bad weather this evening, causing a large fire.”

The incident occurred during a period of heavy showers accompanied by lightning strikes, with the region being under a yellow weather warning issued by the Met Office.

Witnesses in the vicinity reported the dramatic event.

Jack Frowde a 34-year-old who works at Oxford University, described the moment, saying;

“I was sitting in my kitchen when the whole room lit up with a brilliant white light, then followed by a huge crack which sounded like really heavy thunder.

“I looked out of the kitchen window, and it was as if the sky was pulsating orange. I ran to the back to capture the orange glow as it faded after about 20 seconds.”

Mahmet Ciftci, who posted on social media, said,

“Just saw something here in Kidlington that looked like an explosion in the distance. We heard a rumble like thunder and saw flames in the distance. The horizon went orange for a while.”