Flixborough chemical explosion: New memorial to 1974 blast

The consequences of the fire could be seen miles away

A new memorial to remember the 28 people killed in a chemical explosion 45 years ago has been unveiled at a service.

Dozens of others were injured when the blast happened at the Nypro chemical plant at Flixborough, Scunthorpe on 1 June, 1974.

A memorial area at All Saints Church in the town has been revamped.

Jeremy Jolley, from the church, described the explosion as "the darkest day in Scunthorpe's history".

As well as the 28 deaths, 36 people were seriously injured out of a total of 72 people on the site.

The plant produced caprolactam, a raw material for Nylon 6 that is used in the manufacture of clothing, carpets, fishing nets and ropes.

The memorial area at All Saints Church provides a place for families to remember loved ones

The explosion led to the then biggest fire-fighting operation since the 1940s and at its height, 49 appliances were involved.

The consequences of the blast could be seen for miles and fires continued to burn for several days.

An official report in to the explosion found the cause was a result of the failure of a temporary pipe.

Mr Jolley said along with a new information board, improvements had been made to the Nypro memorial area, which includes a pond, a plaque and a bench.

"It's important we remember the 28 people who went to work that day and didn't go home at the end of their shift," he said.

"It still affects people today and we have people who come to the church to remember their lost loved ones."