DISASTROUS FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1921, Page 7

DISASTROUS FIRE.

A FATAL EXPLOSION OUTBREAK IN LONDON. One of the most disastrous fires which has occurred on London’s riverside broke out in a rubber store at Wapping on November 3. Within a matter of minutes after the arrival of the first fire brigades a terrific explosion was heard, and men and debris were hurled into the street in a confused heap. Three firemen were killed and ten injured. The store was completely destroyed, and adjoining property was also involved. The damage is estimated at over £120,000. The scene of the fire was a six-storey warehouse with buildings in close proximity, stored with rubber. It burned fiercely, illuminating the sky for miles round, and attracting to the scene thousands of spectators. Fifty fire- engines were promptly on tjie scene, completely blocking th c narrow thoroughfares. The explosion occurred with such suddenness and so soon after the arrival of the first brigades that no amount of intuition and precaution could have prevented it. The 'Shadwell and Whitechapel brigades were the first to arrive on the scene, and immediately on entering the building they detected a very pungent smell of gas Before, however, they had time to locate the seat of the mischief, a loud explosion—probably caused by contact of the flames with the pent-up gae—occurred.

The heavy iron shutters of the building, together with a quantity of brickwork and many tons of manufactured rubber, were hurled, into the street, carrying with them a number of firemen who had entered the building, and burying them in the debris outside. One fire-escape and a fire-ladder outside were hurled to the ground. Two men on the ladder were also blown down among the wreckage by the force of the explosion. While the majority of the firemen got to work on the burning building with hose pipes, a good number of them were obliged to attend to the dead and injured men, the latter being conveyed to the Wapping Infirmary and to the London Hospital in Whitechapel Road. Most of them were suffering from severe burns and shock, while several of the more serious cases had scalp wounds and other injuries to the body. An official at the London Hospital said the mangled condition of some of the men admitted reminded him of the terrible scenes which he had witnessed in France. The explosion and the scene which followed is thus described by a fireman:— “Suddenly there was a terrific roar, a brilliant flash and a great burst of bluish-yellow light, and the walls and roof started falling about in every direction. For a few seconds it was a scene of wild confusion, and the men could not realise what had happened. “Our fellows were blinded and Blown in all directions, being lifted bodily off their feet, and there they were, lying about in their agony. Those who happened to have escaped at once rendered them help. “By this time the roof had gone, and it was brighter than daylight. I could see that some of the poor fellows were nearly gone, and others were lying under heaps of ruins with their helmets smashed in, moaning and groaning. “We all did the best w.e could to help them, and they were taken off to hospital.”