Fire crews were swiftly dispatched to an industrial unit in the Worcestershire town after explosions were reported.
Video footage showed what appears to be a burning factory, with a column of smoke rising over residential neighbourhoods nearby. The scene has been described as “absolute chaos” by locals.
Police have asked people to avoid the area and residents have been advised to close their windows to keep the choking black smoke out.
Firefighters say the blaze broke out at a building on Park Street. Though the street is lined with houses and small businesses, a large metal refinery sits at one end, and appears to be the source of the blaze.
The West Midlands Ambulance Service has dispatched an ambulance, multiple paramedics, an air ambulance and trauma doctor to the scene, but there is no word yet on potential casualties.
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