Massive explosions at Hemel Hempstead fuel depot

At around 0600, there was an absolutely massive explosion at a fuel depot in Hemel Hempstead. Like many others across London and surrounding counties, I both heard the first explosion, and felt a soft rumble from my home in Richmond-upon-Thames in southwest London.

The news first officially broke around 0610 on BBC News 24, and around the same time on Sky News. However, the explosion was heard live on N24 during a live two-way from Whitehall.

The coverage on Sky has been superior during this first hour, with plenty of eyewitness coverage, and they've been first to get pictures up, sent in via email by eyewitnesses. Sky have also been mentioning many of their on-air staff and crew as having called in from across the Home Counties to say that they either felt or saw the explosions.

There have been four explosions in total so far; there was much speculation that an aircraft may have been involved as a "loud and developing rumble" was heard shortly before the first massive explosion, but police have since confirmed that no aircraft was involved, and that they are treating the catastrophe as an accident.

BBC News Online coverage
Sky News coverage

I'm not sure what ITVNC coverage has been like this morning, but as of 0715, there was no mention at all of the disaster on ITV.com/news, although the "showbiz latest" ticker was bang up to date. The ITV site has since been updated.

Update:
In the last hour or so, coverage on Sky has remained ahead of N24 in terms of quality, with many excellent two-ways and eyewitness interviews, and first footage of the damage to local buildings. N24 has relied heavily on eyewitness interviews, largely reviewing the same information; N24 has also consistently been behind Sky News in terms of getting images and video on air this morning.

First images shown on N24 at around 0703 - exactly one hour after the first explosion, and nearly 20 minutes after Sky News. Sky News have been showing first video footage since 0700; N24 showing the same footage about 7 minutes later.

N24 have been relying very heavily on eyewitness reports; Sky has had fewer eyewitnesses, though they've been doing very well with bringing first images and video.

BBC1 are just continuing with Breakfast/N24 coverage - no MoTD

I just wish Sky would get rid of that bloudy signer!

It takes up nearly a third of the screen!

Some of the local news organisations here in the Middle East are leading wiht it, so it must be big news. I am following News 24 online coverage with Mishal Husain and Bill Turnbull - they are doing a good job so far.

I guess that CNNI will have Richard Quest or Becky Anderson on the scene soon, and BBC will have Jon Sopel making his way over there shortly after he has completed Poltics Show?? Does Sky have anyone on the scene yet? Sounds like a job for Martin S or Jeremy T.

This is very clearly a very major story, and whilst I would like to set sentiment aside, my heart does go out to those affected by this. Having been in the vicinity of refinery incidents in my career in the past, I have to say it is not a pleasant thing to witness.

BBC LDN - I see you are still on line and near to the action - can you keep us abreast with rolling updates from tv news there - the BBC www feed is quite bad just now and heavily distorted.

Thanks a lot,
James

Well, by and large, it appears that very few people have been directly affected by this. Total UK, one of the joint partners in the Buncefield terminal (the second being Chevron-Texaco) has confirmed that all of its staff have been accounted for. There have been reports of injuries, but these have mostly been no more serious than bruises and shallow cuts caused by being falling debris, shattered glass, and being thrown to the floor by the force of the explosion.

All channels reporting that the incident is being treated as an accident, with any aircraft involvement being conclusively eliminated. Total UK's spokesperson reported earlier that maintenance was being carried out in one section of the terminal last night, and this will be one obvious focus of speculation in searching for the cause of this disaster.

There has been much damage to buildings in the immediate area and up to two miles away, due to the ferocity of the first explosion. Neither Sky nor BBC News have a presence on scene as emergency services have understandably pushed people back to a safe distance. However, N24 has its correspondent with its long-distance camera; the correspondent was the same one reporting live from Whitehall earlier this morning at the time that the first explosion occurred.

Sky News also has a long distance camera viewing the area; they have at least one correspondent on the ground, who has been reporting from the Ramada and Holiday Inn hotels which were damaged by the pressure wave of the first explosion, and which have since been evacuated. Sky cameras have also been recording damage to local buildings, and emergency services activity in the local area. Sky have also had significant amounts of new video compared to N24, and they have had ALL images and video ahead of N24, even though some of it has been sourced from APTN (and one would therefore expect it to be immediately available to all news outlets).

John and Sasha dual presenting this morning. I have always thought they compliment eachother very well, but anyway, yes this oil blast is pretty serious. Luckily so far, there have been no serious injuries.

Sky have got the emergency number (0800 0960095) up befor N24 and ITV NC.

ITV1 have put in two extra news slots - 10.25-10.40 and 12.05-12.35 - according to the Sky EPG, after they had a 2 minute bulletin post-GMTV

Haven't you got anything better to do on a Sunday morning than worry about this.
Me ? I'm off train-spotting.

I wonder who will do those bulletins.. John or the weekend presenter?

ATM it's John doing a simulcast on ITV1 and ITVNC