Anniversary appeal for relatives of city gas blast victims

IN THE autumn of 1973 an explosion in the centre of Sheffield killed three men and injured dozens more.

A disused tank on Effingham Road that had once stored gas blew up, damaging properties in a quarter-mile radius. Reports at the time described a “huge flame like a volcano”, some 200ft high, with a witness likening it to an atomic bomb.

Now, as the 45th anniversary approaches, a permanent memorial to the victims is being planned, and an appeal has gone out to trace relatives and former colleagues.

National Grid is in the process of dismantling the last remaining gasholder in the area, which has been associated with gas production and storage since the early 1800s.

Project manager Hannah White said: “It’s fitting that as we mark the end of the gasholders in the area, we commemorate the people who lost their lives and who were injured at the gasworks.”

The tragedy happened during the conversion of a million-gallon tank to hold diesel oil. Contractors using flame cutters had been removing water from it but had not realised it still contained flammable liquid.

Around 30 people were taken to hospital and four were detained. Some 60 parked cars were showered with debris. Verdicts of accidental death were recorded on the victims, who were aged between 32 and 65.