Around 200 people attending a wedding had to be evacuated from The Taj Banqueting Suite in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, yesterday (21st August), when an explosion caused a fire in the kitchen.

A Dewsbury Fire Station spokeswoman told local reporters that the fire started when one of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in the kitchen came loose as people were eating in the dining hall.

She said was a large crowd of people outside the venue when firefighters arrived and that everybody had got to safety.

An eyewitness said there was a small explosion and smoke, but no flames were seen by the guests and that the scene outside was quite chaotic.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said they were called to help evacuate the guests and help clear them from the scene for the firefighters. Ambulances and two Hazardous Area Response Teams were also at the scene.

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

Original sources

The Huddersfield Examiner

Batley News