WATCH: Mushroom cloud erupts out of UK factory amid series of massive explosions

Residents of Medway, Kent, endured scenes straight out of an apocalyptic nightmare on Friday after a series of large explosions at an industrial building sent mushroom clouds towering above their homes.

An enormous blaze broke out at the building in the early hours of Friday morning and locals reported being woken by a series of bangs. 

The fire strengthened over the course of several hours and by sunrise huge plumes of smoke could be seen for miles around. The local fire brigade said that 10 fire engines rushed to the site to battle the inferno.

Video footage from the scene captures a huge pillar of smoke bursting out of the blazing building and sprouting into a mushroom cloud that sits ominously over the area. It was just one of several explosions that took place during the massive fire. 

“I spoke with an officer on scene which she explained to me the fire service had to be pulled out because the warehouse next door has thousands of rounds of ammunition and fuel,” one eyewitness told the Kent Online news outlet.

“Which made the situation very dangerous, that’s why there was a big evacuation and the fire brigade couldn’t do much at first,” they added.

The fire service is urging the public to avoid the area and locals are being advised to keep windows shut because of the large amount of smoke circulating. Several roads in the area around the blaze have also been closed off.

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