Explosion at St Edward's Church, Darwen

A gas explosion has caused damage to the roof and chimney of St Edward's Church, Darwen. Worryingly the explosion happened at around 8.30am when parents were dropping their children off at the nearby school and nursery.

Firefighters were called to Sacred Heart and St Edward's school on Tuesday 6th January when gas escaping from the faulty boiler ignited.

Luckily although many children were making their way to the nearby primary school no injuries were reported as a result of the explosion which caused considerable damage to the chimney stack which resulted in some debris crashing to the floor.


A gas engineer condemned the two boilers which had been lit for the first time since the Christmas holidays but the school will remain open as normal.

The fire crew were assisted by Transco to ensure the area was safe and an aerial ladder was used to dismantle loose stones and clear the roof of any remaining debris.

Church events will also continue as normal although, understandably, there won't be any heating until the boilers are repaired or replaced.


Our pictures above show the damage caused by the explosion at St Edward's Church, Darwen on Tuesday 6th January 2009.

Does your child attend the nearby school or nursery and/or did you witness the explosion . . . add your comments below or visit our forum.