Man seriously hurt in chemical blast at English industrial site

Injured man in hospital receiving critical care for burns after explosion at plant

Greater Manchester Police were called to the scene after an explosion left a man with serious injuries (file image). Alamy.

A man was seriously injured in a chemical explosion at an industrial park in northern England.

The victim was taken to hospital, where he received critical care for serious burns after the blast in Irlam, Greater Manchester, just after 11am on Tuesday.

Neighbours said they heard a “really loud boom”. The cause of the explosion has yet to be established.

One resident told the local Manchester Evening News: "We heard a big blast and we didn't think much of it at first. We thought it could be from a car."

Another witness described seeing “green and yellow smoke” coming from the site.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed it had launched an investigation. A spokesman for the force said: "We received a 999 call reporting that a chemical explosion had occurred at an industrial site on Liverpool Road, Irlam. Firefighters from Irlam and Cheshire responded immediately and are on the scene."

The North West Ambulance Service confirmed that a man was taken to hospital with serious burns.