Teenager badly burned in Opotiki explosion after 'using petrol to start a fire'

Police, fire and ambulance crews attended the incident on Richard St in Opotiki this afternoon.

A 17-year-old male accidentally set fire to himself in Opotiki, apparently while using petrol to start a fire, rescuers say.

Emergency services rushed to the scene this afternoon after it was reported a person had been hurt in an explosion.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were attending the incident on Richard St in Opotiki, a police media spokeswoman said.

The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was sent to Opotiki about 2.30 pm because of the seriousness of the teenager's injuries and the distance to hospital.

Pilot Todd Dunham said the teen was in "considerable pain" but was still talking. He told the crew he had been trying to light a fire with petrol when the explosion happened.

"The accident resulted in very serious burns to his arms, legs and abdomen," Dunham said.

St John paramedics stabilised the teen and gave him painkillers before flying him to the Waikato Hospital burns unit, he said.

An earlier police statement suggested the teenager was injured as a result of being burned from boiling water in what appeared to be an explosion of some sort.

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