Gas explosion causes fire at Port Kembla steelworks
A man is in hospital being treated for burns after an explosion at the Port Kembla steel works on the New South Wales south coast. An investigation is underway to find the cause of the gas cylinder explosion and the subsequent fire.
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TVTranscript
00:00 Emergency crews were called to Blue Scopes Port Kembler Steelworks just before 11 o'clock
00:06 this morning.
00:07 It's a heavy industrial site just on the outskirts of Wollongong CBD.
00:11 There had been reports of a fire and an explosion.
00:14 It's understood a contractor, a man believed to be aged in his 40s, was working near the
00:19 Hot Mills plant which is sort of deep within the site here.
00:23 He was opening a cylinder of acetylene, which we understand is a fuel that's commonly used
00:28 somewhere in the steel making process.
00:30 As he opened the cylinder a fire was started.
00:33 It ignited another fire in a cylinder just nearby in a bank of six.
00:37 He was treated at the scene by his colleagues on site and emergency crews were summoned
00:42 to the area.
00:43 Fire and Rescue responded about 10 trucks to the scene with 40 firefighters on the site.
00:48 They were working to cool the containers down.
00:52 Basically the gas is burnt out here and they're just monitoring the site at the moment.
00:56 About 10 to 15 workers were excluded from the immediate vicinity of the fire.
01:01 A bigger exclusion area of about 25 workers were also asked to leave the scene.
01:06 Now the man himself has been taken to Wollongong Hospital.
01:09 Blue Scope Steel says he suffered superficial grazing to his knuckles and burns to his knuckles
01:15 and a graze as well.
01:17 We understand there will be an investigation into the cause of the incident and fire crews
01:21 say they will remain at the scene for some time to monitor the cylinders.
01:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]