Explosion ‘louder than a gunshot’
A WELDING explosion that killed a 67-year-old man in his private residence in Gordonvale has been described as “unbelievably loud” and akin to a gunshot by his next door neighbour.
Fiona Green was on her laptop working from home when a loud bang yesterday evening knocked her off her chair.
“The dogs went running outside, you could hear the horses galloping in the paddock, it was unbelievably loud,” she said.
Ms Green instantly thought it was a gunshot but then felt it was too loud for that.
“What I could relate it to is when I have had a lightning bolt hit a power pole out here, about 50m away from my house,” she said.
“You hope for the best and that no-one was hurt.”
There was lots of yelling and chaos following the incident, she said, as she saw a fire brigade, two ambulances and eventually a helicopter land at the location.
Ms Green, who has been a Gordonvale resident for 19 years, said her neighbours had only moved in 12 months ago.
“The gentleman was, I think, an experienced welder, boiler maker,” she said.
She said her condolences went out to the family and said she would love to help
them in any way, as would the community.
Jennifer Mondora, a resident down the road from where the explosion happened, said her partner and her felt the impact of the blast sitting on their lounge chairs.
“I thought it was a fuel truck around the corner,” Ms Mondora said.
“We felt it at our place.” Ms Mondora walked out
and looked around but stayed home as “they didn’t need onlookers”.
Her family owned the property where the explosion happened back in 1920 before selling it in 2022.
Earlier today, police said they were preparing a coroner’s report following the sudden and non-suspicious death of a 67-year-old man at a property in Gordonvale on
Tuesday afternoon, March 28.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the accident happened at a home on Crossland Road.
The elderly man was injured at his residence while welding and it is believed a large fuel drum exploded, causing serious injury.
A Queensland Ambulance Services spokeswoman said
the man was critically injured when emergency crews arrived and he was flown to Cairns Hospital, where he later died.
The man sustained burns to his chest and head injuries.
Police remained at the scene until 5.30pm on Tuesday.
Next of kin have been informed and police will prepare a report for the coroner.