Emergency services rushed to a hydro-electric power station in Scotland after reports of an explosion on Tuesday evening. Cruachan Power Station, built into Ben Cruachan mountain in Argyll and Bute, was safely evacuated following the incident around 5pm.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dispatched four appliances to the scene after receiving an emergency call shortly after 5pm. Fire crews worked with station staff before leaving the scene by 8pm, with no injuries reported.
Police investigation underway
Police Scotland confirmed they received reports of the explosion at approximately 5:20pm on Tuesday, September 23rd. A spokesperson told the Press and Journal: "Emergency services are in attendance. There are no reports of anyone injured. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances of the incident."
The A85 road was temporarily closed in both directions as a precautionary measure before reopening just before 7pm. Traffic disruption remained minimal throughout the emergency response.
Station owner confirms safe evacuation
Drax Power, which owns the facility, stated that the site was safely evacuated after smoke was detected in the cavern. The pumped storage power station operates from within the mountain and is commonly known as the Hollow Mountain due to its unique underground location.
The facility gained additional recognition when scenes from the Star Wars series Andor were filmed at Cruachan Power Station and Ben Cruachan in June 2021. The station continues to play a vital role in Scotland's renewable energy infrastructure.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
