North London bin men narrowly avoid explosion in terrifying video

A group of Barnet binmen narrowly avoided disaster after rubbish exploded. Shocking footage shows a worker empty the bin, before a bomb-like explosion left the road ridden with detritus.

The explosion was caused by combustible items such gas canisters or bottles, batteries or aerosols being wrongly placed into a residential bin, said Barnet Council. It was then crushed by the lorry’s impactor causing the bin, and other debris to be fired out onto the street.

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Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Barnet Council cabinet member for environment and climate change said: “The video is incredibly shocking, and we’re relieved that the crew members escaped unharmed.

“I hope this helps people to understand how important it is to properly recycle items such as gas canisters and bottles, batteries and aerosols, as on another day we might not have been so lucky.”

This incident follows one earlier this year where a set of lithium batteries caught light and burned a hole in the side of a bin lorry.

Combustible waste should never be dumped in waste bins, and many local authorities insist on them being recycled at the local recycling centre.

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