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Riddle as massive blast rocks homes

Neal Keeling
13/10/2004

A MYSTERY explosion rocked Greater Manchester today.

Police and the fire service received dozens of calls from the public about the blast which happened at 7.30am.

But despite efforts by both services to locate the source nothing was found.

Fire service spokesman Ian Bailey said: "We had people calling from a wide area - Chorlton, Flixton, Farnworth, and Walkden - saying they had heard a huge explosion.

"But we have not responded to any incident which would explain the blast. Some of the control room officers at our headquarters in Pendlebury also heard it."

A police spokesman said: "We have not been able to find any explanation and there is no rubble or bricks anywhere."

Measurements

The British Geological Society is investigating.Though none of their earthquake signals were triggered, it said that it may have been too shallow to register on their measurements.

Another possibility is that the blast could have comefrom old mine workings. There are disused shafts in the Walkden area and at Agecroft where a pit closed at the beginning of the 1990s.

Lynn Hall, of Sherwood Drive, Pendlebury, said: "At 7.25am this morning I was locking the door of our house and my husband Carl was waiting for me to come out. He said to me `Did you hear that loud bang?' He kept mentioning it because it was so loud."

One caller to a radio station has claimed that she saw something falling from the sky. But fire brigade spokesman Paul Duggan said: "If it had been a meteorite we could have expected to have found a crater - which we haven't, unless it is the middle of a golf course or a field."


| Submit CommentSubmit Comments | View CommentsView Comments(92)


Most recent 2 of 92 user comments

   i saw a bomb desposal unit coming down the m60 that night after finishing work been tryin to find out more on mod sight freedom of information an all that but wwith no joy
dr who, outer space
8/03/2006 at 23:25

Offensive or Inappropriate?

   iam sure thre was a further explosion on saturday 23rd of october at 7am did anyone else hear it?
paul b, worsley
28/10/2004 at 12:24

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