Blast heard during factory fire

3 October 2011 Last updated at 09:43 ET

Fire crews were called to reports of an explosion at Hobbs industrial estate shortly before 11:30 BST

A large fire has broken out at an industrial estate in Surrey.

Crews from Surrey and West Sussex fire services have been tackling the blaze at the Hobbs industrial estate on the East Grinstead Road in Lingfield.

Ten appliances were sent to the scene after reports of an explosion just before 11:30 BST.

A fire service spokeswoman said the cause was not yet known and it was too early to say whether there had been any injuries.

‘Massive, massive bang’

Paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance Service are at the scene and the Surrey Air Ambulance has been scrambled.

The explosion was heard by people at the nearby London England Temple.

One engineer, who did not want to be named, said he was working on a roof near the boundary of the temple’s 32-acre grounds, when he heard a loud bang.

The explosion was heard by people at the nearby London England Temple

“There was a massive, massive bang, a large bang, with a little after-bang but that was it,” he said.

He said a lot of smoke could be seen near the industrial estate, and two helicopters also hovered near the scene.

Christine Brooks, 59, a waitress at the Peacock Lodge pub in Newchapel, said up to 150 workers from the industrial estate had been evacuated from the to the pub.

She said there had been a “huge vibration” and “everything just shook”.

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