Blast scares hundreds and closes train line - pictures of site

Sep 12 2008 By Andrew Hirst

canister, 320, thornton lodge

A RAILWAY line was shut through Huddersfield after "idiots" set off a massive explosion next to the track.

They had thrown four large liquid petroleum gas cylinders on to a rubbish fire close to the line off the bottom of Blackmoorfoot Road near its junction with Manchester Road at 11pm last night.

Firefighters heard a small explosion from their station more than half-a-mile away on Huddersfield ring road – and then a louder explosion moments later which rattled the station windows.

They were immediately called out to Thornton Lodge to find hundreds of worried residents out of their homes.

Watch Manager Andy Blackburn said: "The second explosion had been a massive one and you could see from people’s faces how frightened they were by what had happened. It must have been horrendous for people living near the scene.

"We found the rubbish fire next to the track and discovered that two cylinders were still on there. One that had exploded had actually landed on the railway line, but luckily a train wasn’t passing at the time. We never found the other which could have landed in someone’s garden.

"To have put cylinders on a fire like this was an act of sheer stupidity. When theses cylinders explode they are like bombs and rockets that can cause horrific injuries and death.’’