A man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after an explosion at a chemical plant in Queensland’s Bundaberg region.
Police issued an emergency declaration after a blaze broke out at the factory in Isis Central at about 9:30pm yesterday.
The company’s website indicates they manufacture “sustainable natural plant extracts”. It’s believed resin and turpentine are extracted from pine logs there.
“The explosion was heard and felt up to 50 [kilometres] away,” Mr Ironmonger wrote.
“We live 15km from the plant and the explosion was very loud and shook the house.”
Another local posted on the Childers Community Connect Facebook page that “it sounded like a bomb went off and shook the whole house.”
Karlos Mans, who lives nearby, says the explosion shook his house and was heard and felt for about 50km.
It took nine fire crews several hours to bring the fire under control.
The man was taken to the Bundaberg Hospital in a serious condition with significant head injuries and burns.
Queensland police said five employees were at the site at the time of the explosion.
Police revoked the emergency declaration at about midnight.
They said up to 5,000 litres of solvents and woodchips were being processed at the plant at the time of the incident.
Police said the blast was not suspicious and workplace health and safety officers were investigating.
Source: ABC News
