Factory blast
(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 1. A small office was demolished, windows were shattered, and holes punched in the roof when solvent fumes exploded in a Penrose factory today. Workmen at the factory put out a fire which threatened to engulf the building after the explosion. Mr P. Faber, the owner of the factory, which makes concrete pumps, said he and two employees were having lunch in a house about 30 yards from the factory when they were shaken by an explosion. “It seemed to jolt the whole house,” he said. “I think it has probably
cracked the floor in the factory. “We ran over and saw the fire starting to spread. Luckily, there was a concrete sump inside with 400 gallons of water in it, so we played this on the fire.
“We were pretty' lucky really—we were just about to go back into the factory after lunch/* Mr Faber said.
One end of the building was a mess of shattered wood partitioning, broken windows and fire-blackened machinery. Mr Faber said he thought the explosion was caused by fumes from a solvent used in making pump diaphragms.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 2
Word Count
190Factory blast Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 2
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