We present observations taken in the corona above a flare that occurred on the west limb of the Sun. SUMER spectra show large red (400 km/s) and blue (700 km/s) Dopplershifts in Fe XX (10⁷K), Cr XVI (5x10⁶K), Si IX (10⁶K) and O III (10⁵K) emission lines. These shifts are associated with a fast moving (500 km/s) optical emission front detected in high cadence images, taken with the coronagraph MICA. Yohkoh images, taken 8 min after the hard X-ray peak, show fast soft X-ray ejecta that can be extrapolated back to the position of pre-flare coronal arcade structure seen in EIT 195 images. The observations are interpreted as evidence of a blast wave propagating through the active region coronal loop structure very early in the flare evolution.