An enormous gas explosion was caused by a lightning strike at a company in Oxfordshire that recycles food waste, lightning struck a tank at a Severn Trent Green Power facility in Yarnton

 

Severn Trent Green Power issued the following statement: “Severn Trent Green Power can confirm that at around 7:20 p.m. this evening, lightning struck a digester tank at its Cassington anaerobic digestion facility in Yarnton, Oxfordshire, causing the biogas within that tank to ignite.

 

“We are working with the emergency services to secure the site and will provide further comments in due course.”

Emergency services attended the incident, with 40 firefighters reported to be at the scene. South Central Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics attended – but a spokesperson said there were no reports of casualties

Thames Valley Police also said officers were dispatched. At 9.20pm, the force said in statement: “Our officers are currently at the scene of a fire at a waste plant near Yarnton, Oxfordshire. It is believed that lightning struck gas containers at the site during bad weather this evening, causing a large fire.”

 

The incident followed heavy showers accompanied by lightning strikes with the region under a yellow weather warning issued by the Met Office.

 

Jack Frowde, 34, from Oxford, who works at Oxford University, said: “I was sitting in my kitchen when the whole room lit up with a brilliant white light, then followed by a huge crack which sounded like really heavy thunder.

 

“I looked out of the kitchen window and it was as if the sky was pulsating orange. I ran to the back to capture the orange glow as it faded after about 20 seconds.”

 

Mahmet Ciftci posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Just saw something here in Kidlington that looked like an explosion in the distance. We heard a rumble like thunder and saw flames in the distance. The horizon went orange for a while.”