Two people injured following explosion at Camp Bestival campsite

One woman has been airlifted to a specialist burns unit with "life-changing" injuries

Two people have been injured in an explosion at Camp Bestival.

BBC News reports that a man and a woman suffered serious burns during the incident, which happened in a campsite for traders at the festival. The unnamed woman was airlifted to a specialist burns unit in Bristol. Ambulance services describe her injuries as “life-changing”. The man also required hospital treatment and travelled by ambulance to seek medical assistance in Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

Witnesses have reported seeing a fireball in a camping area of the festival, which takes place in the grounds of Lulworth Castle. It is understood that a gas leak from a cooking stove cylinder may have caused the accident, which destroyed one tent and damaged another. Fireman Steve Underhill, said: “As soon as the explosion occurred it alerted other campers. They came forward with extinguishers, with buckets and bottles of water and quickly put the fire out in the tent, but then applied cooling water to the casualties. Their actions were invaluable.”

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A spokesperson for Camp Bestival said: “Following this incident further safety messages and briefings have been put into place to reinforce fire safety practices. Everyone at Camp Bestival wishes both persons a speedy recovery.”

Camp Bestival takes place between August 1-4 and will see performances from Richard Hawley, The Levellers, Labrinth and Mark Owen across the weekend.

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