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Mold: One injured in chemical factory explosions

Watch moment of explosion at chemical factory

One person has been taken to hospital after explosions and a fire at a chemical factory.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to a fire in the production area of the Synthite factory on Denbigh Road, Mold, Flintshire, at about 14:05 BST.

About 20 workers and contractors were evacuated and a police cordon was put up around the factory.

The fire was brought under control but crews remained at the scene.

Footage shows smoke and flames from a fire at a chemical factory in north Wales.

Nathan Black, from Wirral, was working as a contractor at the site.

"We just heard a massive bang out of nowhere, bigger than anything I've ever seen," he said.

"We were on the scaffolding. We got down and raised the alarm, just literally grabbed everyone as we were leaving and told them to get off.

"We evacuated the site and within minutes there were more bangs. The fire was getting bigger, it was just getting worse and worse."

He added: "After the first explosion, it was a good 10 or 15 minutes before the next one. Then they started getting more and more frequent, and bigger."

Fireball from afar
Fire could be seen from above the factory

Sam Evans, who was working at a building supply company close to the factory, said: "There was smoke for a while, but then you could see the flames come up, and there were some very loud bangs almost like gas cannisters exploding."

The 31-year-old said he first heard a "small alarm" and then saw Synthite workers coming out of the factory.

The bangs "went on for three or four minutes, nothing massive, but loud enough to take notice," he said.

His partner Emily Jones said she rushed to pick up him up.

"[I've] never driven so fast in my life to pick him up from work, all safe and hopefully all others in area will be as well," she said.

Mold town councillor Megan Lloyd Hughes posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, to say the situation had been "stabilised" following "multiple explosions".

North Wales Police said the A541 was closed from the junction at Dreflan to Black Brook Road Rhyd y Goleu.

It added roads would remain closed until the area was considered safe.

Synthite has been on the site since the 1950s producing chemicals, including formaldehyde and chemicals used in agriculture.