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Exploding Transporter
http://www.theage.com.au/national/ma...1022-h9bw.htmlNo indication as to cause yet. I'm guessing a leaking gas bottle of some description.
An apprentice has told of his miraculous escape after he was hit by a "massive" blast triggered by a remote vehicle key.
The explosion destroyed a tradesman's van and severely damaged nearby houses in Chelsea Heights, in Melbourne's south, about 6am.
Plumber Mick Ponton’s new VW Transporter van was in the driveway of his Dunscombe Place home when one of his apprentices unlocked it with a keyless device from about 10 metres away.
Mick Ponton this morning. Photo: Penny Stephens
Apprentice Luke Clark, 17, was standing three metres from the van when it exploded after his workmate pressed the button to unlock the vehicle.
‘‘He’s unlocked it and there was this big explosion and I went flying into the fence,’’ Luke said.
‘‘I was only three metres from the car when it happened. There was just a massive boom and off I went.
‘‘When I got up and turned around I just saw things flying everywhere. Front of the house has almost been completely taken off.’’
Speaking 90 minutes after the explosion, Luke said his ears were still ringing but he had escaped without injury.
‘‘I’m pretty lucky. I think I might get on the Powerball tonight.’’
Mick Ponton’s son Ryan, 16, said he was asleep when he heard the explosion.
‘‘I saw my door fly off its hinges. My window went out. My wall started collapsing in. I grabbed some underwear and ran as fast as I could.
‘‘It was like in a movie scene when you run and see stuff falling off the walls in a big fire. Scary as.
‘‘I called to my brother who was in the room next to me and I called to my dad and we just ran straight past the van because we thought it was going to go up again.’’
Ryan said the two apprentices who survived were lucky ‘‘the explosion went up rather than out’’.
‘‘It just blew up straight away. I’ve never heard anything like it. I dead set thought my whole house was caving in,’’ Mr Ponton told The Age.
‘‘I was inside when my apprentices unlocked and they’re still shaking,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s just so scary. They’ve blocked off the whole street. I can’t even get near my house now.’’
Mr Ponton said the blast had blown windows out of nearby homes and shattered windscreens in cars.
A Country Fire Authority spokeswoman said it received multiple calls about an explosion shortly after 6am and residents from four homes were evacuated.
Police said no injuries had been reported.
The explosion destroyed a tradesman's van and severely damaged nearby houses in Chelsea Heights, in Melbourne's south, about 6am.
Plumber Mick Ponton’s new VW Transporter van was in the driveway of his Dunscombe Place home when one of his apprentices unlocked it with a keyless device from about 10 metres away.
Mick Ponton this morning. Photo: Penny StephensApprentice Luke Clark, 17, was standing three metres from the van when it exploded after his workmate pressed the button to unlock the vehicle.
‘‘He’s unlocked it and there was this big explosion and I went flying into the fence,’’ Luke said.
‘‘I was only three metres from the car when it happened. There was just a massive boom and off I went.
‘‘When I got up and turned around I just saw things flying everywhere. Front of the house has almost been completely taken off.’’
Speaking 90 minutes after the explosion, Luke said his ears were still ringing but he had escaped without injury.
‘‘I’m pretty lucky. I think I might get on the Powerball tonight.’’
Mick Ponton’s son Ryan, 16, said he was asleep when he heard the explosion.
‘‘I saw my door fly off its hinges. My window went out. My wall started collapsing in. I grabbed some underwear and ran as fast as I could.
‘‘It was like in a movie scene when you run and see stuff falling off the walls in a big fire. Scary as.
‘‘I called to my brother who was in the room next to me and I called to my dad and we just ran straight past the van because we thought it was going to go up again.’’
Ryan said the two apprentices who survived were lucky ‘‘the explosion went up rather than out’’.
‘‘It just blew up straight away. I’ve never heard anything like it. I dead set thought my whole house was caving in,’’ Mr Ponton told The Age.
‘‘I was inside when my apprentices unlocked and they’re still shaking,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s just so scary. They’ve blocked off the whole street. I can’t even get near my house now.’’
Mr Ponton said the blast had blown windows out of nearby homes and shattered windscreens in cars.
A Country Fire Authority spokeswoman said it received multiple calls about an explosion shortly after 6am and residents from four homes were evacuated.
Police said no injuries had been reported.
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