A FACTORY manager who survived a fatal blast led an inquiry team around the scene of the disaster yesterday.
Nick Downie, 43, the ICL Tech manager, was severely injured in the explosion at the Glasgow plastics factory in May 2004.
The son of the ICL Plastics chairman, Campbell Downie, he headed a group of about 30 people, including members of the inqui
ry team, legal representatives and local politicians, on a visit to the spot where the plant once stood in Maryhill. The half-hour inspection took place on day 11 of a public inquiry into the tragedy that killed nine.
The hearing heard yesterday that Mr Downie was buried in rubble for five hours in the aftermath of the blast. The inquiry team viewed the site from behind metal fencing, which surrounds the overgrown area.
They then walked past a memorial garden where stones mark each of the victims of the blast. The visit ended with a tour of the Stockline Plastics building next to the former factory.
The blast was caused when gas leaked from corroded pipes and ignited, blowing the building apart.
A further two witnesses are to give evidence on Tuesday when this stage of the inquiry is expected to end.
A second sitting is scheduled for October.
The full article contains 218 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
