Moments away from refinery blast

By Janey Doyle
BBC News

The smoke was photographed on Justin Fryer's flight Enlarge Image

The explosion at Coryton oil refinery in Essex shook homes up to 14 miles away while the huge column of black smoke billowing from the blazing chimney was seen even further afield.

Trainee pilot Justin Fryer was just two minutes south of the refinery, and flying on a route that could have put him in the path of the blast.

"We must have been about two miles south-west, we knew we weren't going to be in danger, but it was initially quite scary," Mr Fryer said.

"I was on a flight back from Rochester over St Mary's Marsh, and flying at about 2,000 ft when we decided to fly near the refinery."

The 32-year-old South African, currently living in Edinburgh, has been in Essex undertaking flight training for his commercial pilot licence.

'Count lucky stars'

He has been flying for nearly three years and was at the controls when the refinery chimney caught fire shortly before 1130GMT on Wednesday.

The blaze started at the base of a tower at the Petroplus-owned site and sent flames 100ft (30.5m) up the column with a huge explosion.

Tony Jarvis was driving past the site when blast occurred

"I couldn't hear the noise, but I saw the explosion and said to my instructor we need to tell Southend Air Traffic Control and radioed them before flying around it, " Mr Fryer said.

The refinery, near Stanford le Hope is responsible for meeting almost a quarter of the UK's forecourt demand for fuel.

An investigation into the cause of the blast at the 370 acre site is underway and despite the scale of the blast no one was injured.

Mr Fryer's flight path was due to take him over the refinery and he estimates he was about two minutes away from the site when the explosion occurred.

"It was a pretty big decision, the way the route was planned we would have been skirting over or near the refinery area.

"Had it been a few minutes later we would have... well I can count my lucky stars."

Mr Fryer's passenger, Jonathan Lewis, took some photos as they continued their flight past the refinery.

On the ground, bus driver Tony Jarvis captured some striking images of the explosion.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way

He was driving past the refinery with his father, who used to work at the refinery, when the blast occurred.

"We were driving past the refinery and my dad said he thought there was a exercise going on," Mr Jarvis said.

"But I said that isn't an exercise."

Armed with a camera, Mr Jarvis started taking photographs just after 1130 GMT.

"I was quite surprised, I didn't know whether it was gas or fuel - there were flames everywhere, most stuff seemed engulfed," he added.

"But workers on the site seemed quite calm, I could hear the fire alarms going off."

Refinery manager John Barden said the blaze had not affected the rest of the refinery and they were working to ensure normal production would be resumed "as soon as possible".