Treforest explosion victim named as Celtic Food Labs chief
18 Dec 2023
The sole victim of the major explosion on a South Wales industrial estate has been identified as the founder of the testing laboratory Celtic Food Labs.
Danielle Evans, who set up the company 14 years ago, was discovered dead last week at the Rizla House warehouse complex at Treforest Industrial Estate in Rhondda Cynon Taf, where her firm’s premises were located.
Detective Superintendent Richard Jones of South Wales Police said the force would be working in tandem with the fire service and Health and Safety Executive to investigate the cause of the explosion.
He added that their thoughts were with Evans’ family, friends and colleagues, adding that enquiries were ongoing. The family added their own public tribute saying:
"She touched so many lives. She will be so sorely missed but, my word, do we all have some amazing memories that we made and cherish."
Evans, 40, set up the firm in 2009, just four years after graduating with a BSc in microbiology, medical microbiology and bacteriology from the University of Leeds. She had identified a lack of sufficient specialised food test labs in the region and developed her privately owned independent company as a specialist in microbiological testing of food and food products.
Celtic Food Labs’ site lists its services as UKAS accredited for a range of microbiological counts as well as pathogen testing for salmonella and listeria species, together with shelf life and storage testing and evaluation under controlled environmental conditions.
Its premises housed a substantial storage room, isolated media production and pathogen areas, sample receipt area and a main microbiological testing laboratory.
