Oxford rocked by huge explosion after lightning strikes gas container sending fireball into sky

A lightning strike has caused a huge gas explosion at a food waste recycling plant in Oxfordshire.

Severn Trent Green Power, which processes food waste, confirmed that lightning struck a tank at its plant in Yarnton on Monday evening, October 2.

JUST IN: A massive explosion went off in Oxford, UK. pic.twitter.com/3XJBx4dCB7

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 2, 2023

In a statement, the firm said: “Severn Trent Green Power can confirm that at around 7.20pm 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 attended the incident, with 40 firefighters reported to be at the scene. South Central Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics attended – but a spokesperson said there were no reports of casualties

Thames Valley Police also said officers were dispatched. At 9.20pm, the force said in statement: “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 followed heavy showers accompanied by lightning strikes with the region under a yellow weather warning issued by the Met Office.

Jack Frowde, 34, from Oxford, who works at Oxford University, said: “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 posted on X, formerly Twitter: “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.”