Bosley Mill Blast: Third Body Identified

Video: Victim's Brother 'Shocked' By Blast

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Families of workers killed in the explosion at a Cheshire wood mill have visited the site where their loved ones died, as police confirm that a third body has been identified as Derek Moore, aged 62.

Some laid flowers close to the spot where the bodies have so far been recovered, six days after the incident in Bosley.

Kelvin Barks, who could only identify his brother Will Barks by examining his watch and keys, said: "It was shocking to see the magnitude of what's gone on down there.

Clockwise from top left: Mr Moore, Ms Bailey, Mr Barks and Mr Shingler

"We've had so many days and there's still families playing roulette, not knowing who's who yet. We're fortunate, I suppose - if you want to use that word - to know that he's my brother and we can put him to rest.
"The fires are still burning, and they've constantly got hoses on, it's colossal down there."

Video: Smoke Fills Air In Blast Aftermath

Mr Barks gathered along with members of the other families at a small chapel within the emergency services cordon.
They spoke to the local vicar Rev Pam Butler before being escorted on a short walk along a country lane to what remains of the four-storey wood mill.
Mr Barks and his family left a placard featuring a photograph of his brother and the words: "You are our world."
Firefighters continue to pick through hundreds of tons of rubble and twisted metal as police and safety officials try to establish the cause of the blast.
Emergency service chiefs say the family visit brought home to their staff just how important the rescue operation is.
A series of explosions destroyed the mill on Friday, and emergency services have been searching for three men and one woman who were unaccounted for.
They have been named as Mr Barks, 51; Dorothy Bailey, 62; Jason Shingler, 38; and Derek Moore, 62.
Formal identifications of the bodies are yet to take place.
A charity fund has been set up for families and for workers left unemployed by the closure of the mill.
Organisers say the Bosley Fire Disaster Fund will "go live" nationally on Friday with contributions payable through branches of Barclays Bank.
According to police, search teams discovered a third body after several silos at the wood flour mill were removed on Wednesday.
The silos were causing problems because they were overheating and having to be hosed down.
Wood Treatment Ltd, which owns the Bosley site, has said it is "devastated" that three of its workers are now known to have died, with one person still missing, describing them as "highly valued members of staff".
In a statement, a spokesman added: "The mill has been part of village life in Bosley for almost 90 years and we share the pain of the community.
"We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously but it would be inappropriate to speculate about the circumstances of this incident until the full investigation is complete."