Wind knocks down 80-foot wind turbine

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BRADWORTH, England, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The winds of southwestern England proved too powerful for a six-story-tall wind turbine, which crashed to the ground.

The $395,000, 80-foot tower on a farm in Bradworthy was meant to last about 25 years but was only 2 1/2 years old when recent 50 mph winds left it a mangled wreck. No one saw the turbine topple, but officials are looking into the possibility it burst into flames before falling, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

"The bolts on the base could not withstand the wind and as we are a very windy part of the country they [the energy company] have egg on their face," Margaret Coles, chairwoman of Bradworthy District Council, said. "There are concerns about safety."

A spokesman for Dulas, the Welsh renewable energy company that erected the turbine, said the generator had a five-year warranty.

"We can reassure the local community that due to the isolated location of the turbine, no one was put at risk and we are currently working hard to establish the precise cause of the incident," the spokesman said.