Fire officers investigate Rochdale factory explosion
The blast at the CRP factory in Littleborough shook nearby houses.
Last updated 18th Jan 2018
An investigation has been launched to establish the cause of an explosion at a manufacturing plant in Rochdale.
Fire crews from across Greater Manchester were called to Todmorden Road in Littleborough shortly after 6pm last night (Wednesday 17th January), following reports of a loud bang at Corrosion Resistant Products (CRP) Ltd.
Two fire engines from Littleborough and Rochdale were joined by an aerial platform from Oldham with specialist rescue units also attending from Ashton Community Fire Station.
The blast was heard across the local area and was so intense that it affected the structural integrity of the building.
John Whatmough who lives opposite told us it sounded like a crash: "I was sat on the couch watching TV and I thought, because of the bad weather - that a car had skidded off the road and smashed into a house because my house vibrated and shook.
"I looked outside and the side of the CRP building was ripped open and half the roof was missing.
"There's a lot of debris in the yard. The side of the building is blown out and there are pipes and all sorts everywhere. It went with some bang."
At the time of the 999 call it was believed there were people inside the building but following the arrival of crew and an initial search of the area everyone was accounted for in an adjacent building.
Group Manager Jon Aspinall, who managed the incident, said: “This was a tricky incident that posed a number of challenges to firefighters, the main one being some potentially hazardous materials as a result of the explosion and fire.
“While this was a fairly minor explosion, there was risk that there could be a leak of toxic fumes from the plant. Thanks to our Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection Officer (HMEPO) we monitored this until we were happy it was at a safe level before reducing the cordon and handing the incident over.”
Jon, who is group manager for the Bury, Oldham and Rochdale area, praised firefighters for their work at the scene.
“Again our firefighters have delivered when their community needed them the most. Their professional and efficient work at this incident allowed us to get it under control quickly and prevent further damage to the local community.”
Firefighters remained at the scene for nearly six hours.