106.5 JACK fm Bristol

Three men are being treated for burns after a gas cylinder exploded at a warehouse in St Phillips.

One of the men, believed to be in his 50s, has been taken to Frenchay Hospital suffering from extensive burns to his groin, arms and face.

It's thought he was attempting to cap an acetylene cylinder at the BOC Gases warehouse in Whitby Rd, St Phillips, Bristol when it exploded.

Two other men, in their 40s and 50s, suffered minor burns as a result but have not been taken to hospital.

Police, fire and ambulance services were called to the warehouse at about 2.50pm on Thursday, and a 200m emergency cordon established around it.

Whitby Rd, Feeder and the Avon Meads Trading Estate were cordoned off and premises within the cordon evacuated. The railway line above Whitby Rd was also closed.

A spokeswoman for Avon Fire and Rescue told JACK fm the warehouse's own internal cooling and sprinkler systems had kicked in and that they were in a 'defensive' rather than 'fire-fighting' mode. The situation was described as 'contained' and the risk of further explosions low.

Acetylene is a fuel gas used for cutting and welding metal, and is known to be at risk of exploding. London Fire Brigade has previously tried to get firms to cut down on its use.

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