Newton Heath Fire: cordon place around site causes travel problems amid fear of blast

Firefighters have placed a cordon around a recycling plant blaze in North Manchester because of fears of a gas cylinder explosion.

The fire ripped through the industrial unit in Newton Heath on Tuesday evening with emergency services battling through the night to bring it under control.

Fire teams concerned about an acetylene cylinder decided to cordon off the area. Crews are still on the scene and are expected to remain there throughout today and continue their ‘damping down’ process to prevent the smouldering debris from re-igniting.

The fire has caused problems on trains with services between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge unable to run; a replacement bus service is in place until at least 3pm.

Passengers have been advised to use the Metrolink between Ashton-under-Lyne and Victoria station or to use First TransPennine Express services between Stalybridge and Manchester Piccadilly.

The fire, involving a large quantity of recycled waste, first took hold at around 7.15pm last night. Thick black smoke could be seen in the sky for several miles.

Residents affected by the smoke were asked to close their windows and doors while firefighters tackled the flames with jets and an aerial platform, containing the incident to a steel storage unit.

The cause of the blaze is still unknown.