A man is fighting for life and five other people were injured in a gas explosion at a recycling factory in Victoria.
The workers were injured at a factory on Numurkah Rd in Shepparton North just after 8am on Tuesday.
A man believed to be in his 40s was flown to The Alfred Hospital, where he was still in a critical condition on Tuesday night.
Another colleague, a man believed to be in his 60s, was rushed to hospital in a serious condition.
The other four workers, two men and two women, were taken to hospital in ambulances in a stable condition with less serious injuries. They remain in a stable condition at Goulburn Valley Health.
One witness recalled the horrifying moment one man was critically injured in the blast.
“I saw him you know, all of his skin is like burned and all his skin is peeling off,” they said.
“He knelt down because he’s just crying from the pain.
“That’s the first and worst incident I have experienced at that factory.”
Fire Rescue Victoria’s Paul McKendrick said all six workers were injured while feeding aerosol cans and fire extinguishers, which are recycled at the facility, into a shredding machine.
“I believe they’ve been operating for quite a few years and this is the first time they’ve had anything like this happen,” he said.
Residents reported hearing the explosion up to 15km away.
The factory is expected to be closed for several days.
WorkSafe is investigating.
Source: 7 News
