Houses across Essex shake for miles after ‘massive explosion’

Essex Fire Service has responded to a ‘large industrial unit fire’ that caused a series of ‘enormous explosions’ that could be heard for miles.

A statement released this evening read: ‘We’re currently at the scene of a large industrial unit fire in Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon.

‘If you live or are travelling nearby, please keep your windows and doors closed.

‘Please avoid the area if you can.’

The cause of the fire is unknown, and it is unclear whether anyone has been injured.

East of England Ambulance Service added that it was responding to a ‘significant incident’.

The initial focus was on preventing the flames from spreading to neighboring commercial units and farm buildings.

Pictures obtained by Metro from South Woodham Ferrers and Rayleigh show a huge plume of brown and orange smoke, with a resident saying the explosion ‘shook the windows’ of their house.

Taking to social media, others near and far shared footage of the smoke and described what they felt, likening the sound to that of a ‘bomb going off’.

@TheHonLady wrote on X that their ‘whole house’ trembled, while @GreggWayling said their ‘windows rattled’ after the ‘boom’.

@Paul_Patriot12 also posted a video of the blaze as flames erupted from a thick grey cloud at around 5.30pm.

Greatest Hits Radio Essex News posted that ‘explosions have been heard up to 12 miles away’.

Smoke has been seen as far as various parts of South Essex, Chelmsford, and Maldon, with Southend Road experiencing severe disruption.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow usnewsrank.com on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get usnewsrank.com articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.