Twenty firefighters taken to hospital after explosion in Essex

Twenty firefighters taken to hospital after explosionTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedFigure caption, Watch: Aerial view captures scale of Essex blazeByRachael McMenemyPublished19 minutes agoTwenty firefighters were taken to hospital after a blaze ripped through an industrial unit and spread to a fertiliser store, triggering a major explosion. The fire service declared a major incident on Friday, as more than 100 firefighters tackled the flames at Highlands Farm, near the village of Rettendon, Essex. Three fire engines and two fire service cars were destroyed in the blaze. Speaking at a media conference on Saturday, Rick Hylton, Essex's chief fire officer, praised the "remarkable professionalism, courage and commitment" of the fire crews.Image source, PA MediaImage caption, Fire chief Rick Hylton has urged the public not to speculate on the cause of the fire while an investigation is under wayHe said the incident was "one of the most challenging and complex incidents Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has responded to in recent years".Of the firefighters taken to hospital, four had minor injuries. Sixteen were checked as a precaution for issues such as hearing loss after the explosion.All of them had been discharged from hospital, Hylton said.Image source, Stephen Huntley/BBCImage caption, More than 100 firefighters were at the scene at the peak of the incidentThe fire service was called at about 16:50 BST on Friday to reports of a fire involving industrial units and surrounding land at the farm, on Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon.Firefighters were confronted by a large and "quickly developing" blaze, Hylton said.At 17:46 a unit housing fertiliser exploded.Witnesses told the BBC it sounded "like a bomb" and compared it to a "sonic boom".Others described hot debris falling from the sky. Image caption, Debris from the explosion and...