Man critical after explosion at Turangi house

The cause of an explosion at a Turangi house that left a man with critical injuries today remains unknown.

A 30-year-old man was today in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital after the fire which started about 7.20pm yesterday.

A fire safety officer had not been able to determine the exact cause of the fire, which started in a bedroom, Turangi Fire Station chief fire officer Tong Kingi said.

It appeared the fire was not started deliberately, but police were investigating to see if there had been any suspicious circumstances around the fire or its cause, he told NZPA.

Mr Kingi believed the injured man had been in the bedroom. No one else was in the house at the time of the fire.

The fire had badly damaged the bedroom and caused considerable smoke damage to the rest of the property, Mr Kingi said.

- NZPA