The workplace accident happened in Otorohanga, in the King Country. Photo / Belinda Feek
A man is dead after a fuel tanker explosion at an earth-moving company this afternoon.
The workplace accident happened in Otorohanga, in the King Country.
"Emergency services were called at about 1pm to a report that a fuel tank had exploded at the premises of an earth-moving company," police said.
The Herald understands the accident may have occurred after two bitumen trucks collided at the depot, with one exploding covering the victim in sticky, hot tar.
One of the trucks which had a tank on it had just returned from Hamilton and was understood to be filling up again and parked up next to another tank when the explosion occurred.
The tanker was understood to be a portable tanker rather than fixed on a truck.
Firefighters and ambulance staff found a man with serious burns. Despite efforts to revive him, he died at the scene.
Police said an investigation on behalf of the Coroner was under way.
The Government's workplace safety watchdog was aware of the incident.
This afternoon, a Worksafe New Zealand spokesman said the agency was investigating the death.
The accident is understood to have happened at Corboy Earthmovers.
According to Corboy's company website, the business has been providing "high quality services to the rural sector" for the past 35 years.
"Brent Pevreal purchased the business in 2011 after being the operations manager for the [previous] four years. With a background in the earthmoving, forestry and roading industries he has developed a vast knowledge to manage the wide variety of projects that Corboy Earthmovers Limited undertakes," the website says.
Corboy works on projects including bridges, underpasses, effluent pond construction and civil roading, excavator work and urban driveway entrances, the website says.
Te Kawa Waitomo petrol station owner Paul Sandhu said one of the workers popped in to buy cigarettes and was upset at losing one of his mates.
Mr Sandhu said he just heard one massive "bang".
Nobody at the company would speak at the scene and police asked media to leave as the victim's family were understandably upset and didn't want to talk.
Another neighbour said she also heard a massive bang but thought it must have been her son.
However, she looked outside about 20 minutes later and saw the premises swarming in emergency services personnel as well as the Westpac Waikato Rescue Helicopter.
St John was alerted to the incident at 12.55pm and deployed two ambulances and a helicopter to the earth-moving company.
"We were on the scene at 1.10," a spokesman said.
"Unfortunately there was one deceased patient."
He said police were now in charge of the investigation.
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