Two people have been injured after a series of explosions at the Tata Steel site in Port Talbot, south Wales, at 3.30 BST on April 26. Later in the morning, the company said the explosions were caused by a spill of liquid iron from a train carrying molten metal but the fires were now out and all employees had been accounted for.
Local sources said a large explosion was followed by two smaller ones and fires caused a mushroom cloud of smoke over the site.
Tata Steel later said the Port Talbot site had reopened to works traffic, the company was assessing any potential damage and that a full investigation into the incident had begun.
South Wales police said two people had sustained minor injuries in the incident and there was damage to some buildings on the site. They said South West fire and rescue service had informed them there was no need for concern over hazardous effects from the smoke from the fires.
The Aberavon MP, Stephen Kinnock, said the incident raised “real concerns” about safety at the site. He tweeted: “Tata Steel Europe must conduct a full review, to improve safety.”
The steelworks is the largest in the UK and employs more than 4,000 people.
In 2001, three men were killed and 12 injured in an explosion at the plant, then owned by Corus.