A faulty machine, collapsing stairwells and a hard-working woman dead: The truth about the Treforest industrial estate explosion

Danielle Evans died in the horror of the explosion

A fault in a machine caused a horrific explosion which claimed a woman’s life and created absolute panic in a neighbouring gym as radiators blew off walls and rubble rained down on a car park.

WalesOnline has obtained a South Wales Fire Service report into the explosion at Treforest Industrial Estate, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in December 2023. Danielle Evans, 40, was crushed to death following the explosion at one of the units in Rizla House, the building where she worked.

The report reveals for the first time that the explosion originated from a unit rented by towels wholesaler Bursali Towels (UK) Ltd. It identifies the cause as a “fault” in a Turkish-made calendar press machine used for transferring designs onto fabrics.

At the time, people in the industrial estate described their fear as they fled to escape the fire only to find the car park blocked by falling masonry. The death of Mrs Evans, from Gorseinon in Swansea, who was described by her family as “the best friend anyone could hope for”, is still being investigated by police.

She was a director of Celtic Food Laboratories, which specialised in the microbial testing of food and occupied one of the 13 commercial units at the 60,000 sq ft Rizla House.

Mrs Evans, who had spent years working “tirelessly” to make the business a success, was in the building at 7pm on December 13, 2023, when the explosion happened.

The fire report, which we obtained through a Freedom of Information request, says the faulty appliance was a Diferro calendar press with a sealed drum containing oil which heated up and ignited.

The UK Government issued a safety alert in April last year warning that three of the Istanbul-based firm’s calendar press products posed “a serious risk of fire and explosion” — a move we understand to have been prompted by the findings of the Treforest investigation.

Nathan Buckley, solicitor for Bursali Towels, told WalesOnline: “There’s no suggestion by the police or the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) whatsoever that Bursali or any of its employees have done anything wrong. It’s a design flaw in respect of the machine itself.

“It’s programmed to come on in the morning. That’s what the machine is designed to do so that it is preheated and when the staff come in it’s ready to use.”

Mr Buckley said the machine was bought from a UK agent “brand new”, with a CE mark to show it met the requirements of the European Economic Area. “As far as we understood the machine was fit for purpose,” he added.

“Now, this machine did have a design flaw which meant that if the pressure in the drum used to print things onto towels reached a certain level, there was no safety feature to turn the machine off. There was no issue with the training or maintenance or anything like that.

“The employees of Bursali Towels have provided witness statements to the police and HSE. There have been no interviews under caution. We’re not suspected of any wrongdoing whatsoever.”

Istanbul-based Diferro — which, according to its website, has been operating since 1985 and exports to more than 50 countries — did not respond to our approach for comment. But the Government alert warns three of the firm’s calendar presses do not meet safety regulations.

It states: “Great Britain suppliers have been asked to stop selling Diferro calender presses containing an oil-filled heated drum until further notice.”

‘Devastating’

The fire service’s report describes how the Rizla House stairwell and escape routes “collapsed in places” as the building was partially destroyed.

An inquest into Mrs Evans’ death opened in December 2023 but is yet to proceed because the police and HSE investigations are ongoing. The inquest opening heard Mrs Evans died from traumatic crush injuries.

In a family tribute issued to WalesOnline through Thompsons Solicitors, who are supporting Mrs Evans’ loved ones, they described her as a “loyal and loving wife” and “the best friend anyone could hope for”.

They said she had a passion for science, camping, spending time with friends and making memories with her beloved family.

She had just been starting to reap the rewards of more than a decade of hard work running Celtic Food Laboratories with her business partner Richard Lloyd.

The pair had started the business after the previous company they worked for, South Wales Food Labs Ltd, went into administration in the late 2000s.

Mrs Evans and Mr Lloyd had “realised that there was a need for an independent food test laboratory in South Wales” and so decided to start Celtic Food Laboratories in 2009, according to paperwork the company filed following Mrs Evans’ death.

The papers explained how they had “worked tirelessly to get as many clients as possible to make the company profitable”. Mrs Evans approached companies and initially used her expertise in food microbiology to guide clients at no charge.

Trust was then built through “Celtic’s excellent lab staff and Richard making sure that they all had a very good service and Ceri, Danielle’s mother, doing the accounts free of charge for 12 years and supporting the business financially on many occasions”.

Eventually the company employed 13 people and started to become “very profitable”. The papers state: “It was in the last tax year, 2023-2024, that the company really saw a significant rise in turnover and profits. They were on the verge of having a very lucrative business and a good life after years of hard work.

“On December 13, 2023, there was an explosion in the neighbouring unit which destroyed not only that unit but also that of Celtic Foods and all the equipment inside. Sadly, Danielle died in this explosion.

“This was devastating not only to lose Danielle but also everything that she and the team had strived for. The inquest into the explosion is still ongoing.

“Celtic Food Labs Ltd could not start up again soon due to the fact that Danielle was a huge part of the business as a leading food microbiologist… It was decided that the only way forward was to put the company into liquidation.”

Mrs Evans’ memory was recently honoured at ‘Danfest’, a festival organised by friends and family over the summer in Hay-on-Wye to celebrate her life. The family said the kindness and generosity of all involved was “heartwarming”, with more than £3,000 raised for SADS UK, a cardiac charity, through donations, artwork, and bracelets handmade by her niece and cousins.

They added: “Danielle would have loved every second of it, and she was with us in spirit. Even though she was taken from us in such a tragic manner, way too soon, there is something positive to hold on to. In our grief, she continues to connect us — something she was exceptionally good at in life, and fittingly, something she still does now.”

Risk of ‘catastrophic failure’

The Government warning over Diferro calendar presses reads: “There is potential for the oil-filled drum to overheat during operation.

“If left unattended, which use of the weekly programming function allows, this overheating can lead to the catastrophic failure of the drum. Rupture of the drum containing the pressurized oil, which is at or above its boiling point, can cause an explosion.”

Solicitor Chris-Marie Niemela, who is supporting Mrs Evans’ family, said: “This is a tragic event. The family are still coming to terms with their loss. It is imperative that we now allow the proper authorities the time and space to carry out their full investigations and preserve the integrity of those critical processes so that the full facts can be ascertained.

“Our priority is to support the family during this incredibly difficult time, and we hope that their privacy will be respected as they continue to grieve their loss.”

A HSE spokesman said: “We continue to assist the police who are leading the investigation and enquiries are ongoing.” And a police spokeswoman said: “South Wales Police is working with fire service and Health and Safety Executive colleagues to establish the cause.”