Police name worker killed in tanker blast

Mr Crown had just started work on dismantling this tank when it exploded. Photo / NZPA

Police have named a man who was killed when a disused fuel tanker he was working on exploded in the Hamilton suburb of Pukete.

He was Kenneth Joseph Crown, 55, who was a metal recycler from Hamilton.

Firefighters and ambulance staff were called to the blaze at Petroleum Services' dangerous goods yard in Kaimiro St, Hamilton, at 2.10pm yesterday.

The yard stores recovered underground tanks and LPG and petroleum tankers.

Mr Crown had just started work on dismantling a tank when it exploded and he was hit by a flying lid.

The disused 5000-litre petroleum container had "cut up for scrap" written in pink spray paint on it.

"It looks like he started to work on this tank, probably with a gas torch, and the tank has exploded," Waikato fire area commander Roy Breeze said.

"When you get an enclosed container that has had even the smallest amount of flammable liquid in it, and then to introduce a flame or spark or something like a gas cutter, you are asking for a huge explosion."

Petroleum Services manager David Kraakman said Mr Crown was working as a contractor for a company called CMA Recycling at the site in Pukete.

"We're very sorry for his loss. We have a very good safety record and there's no way an event like this should have happened at one of our sites.

"I personally didn't actually know the guy, and I think he'd only been working at the site on Monday and Tuesday.

"I understand he was very experienced at what he did," Mr Kraakman said.

A spokesman from Hamilton-based CMA Recycling said it would release a statement later today.

Witnesses reported seeing Mr Crown's colleagues rush to the scene and try to extinguish the flames and perform CPR on him. But he died at the scene.

Engineer Mark Bate, who works at neighbouring site Voyager Trailers, was outside his workshop when he was nearly knocked off his feet by the explosion.

"The tank actually jumped off the ground, you know ... everyone in here could feel it. The whole thing gave me a hell of a fright," he said.

"I started looking over the fence and these guys started running out there with fire extinguishers and that but our boss came and dragged us out the front for a safety assembly."

At the same time, Mohammed Javed was across the road in a warehouse about 80m away from the blast. He and a colleague were setting up shop at their new premises.

"The force of the blast actually penetrated the walls here and for a while I thought the roof was going to cave in," he said.

"We went over and took a look and the guys there did a good job extinguishing the flames but you could see this guy lying in a pool of blood ... it's not a good way to start for us out here."

Police, fire and Department of Labour investigators were still onsite early yesterday evening.

Petroleum Services, which says on its website that it is an oil industry specialist, did not return calls yesterday. Signs outside the plant show the building and land are up for lease.

- With NZPA