Recycling yard explosion under inquiry

An explosion that rocked Onehunga on Friday morning is being investigated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s health and safety division.

A loud explosion was heard in the Church St area about 11am on Friday after a gas cylinder exploded at a recycling yard.

An employee at CMA Recycling in Onehunga said the explosion happened in the yard and the site manager was investigating.

No-one was injured and the yard continued operating as usual.

The explosion was so loud residents took to Twitter, with Jo Cooper saying ‘‘house felt it, huge bang and cars shook’’.

Another tweeter, Neil Law- ton, wrote ‘‘stopped on Capt Springs the car shook’’.

An employee at a nearby business said loud noises from the recycling yard were regularly heard but on Friday morning it was ‘‘extra loud’’.

Ministry spokeswoman Philippa Norman says it is making ‘‘preliminary inquiries into this incident’’.

She could give not further details.

A similar incident occurred in South Auckland in July. Emergency services were called to the National Steel scrap metal plant in Wiri after a gas cylinder left inside a car exploded as the car was being shredded.

The explosion was felt across a wide area of Manukau.