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Energy type: 
LPG
 
Event summary: 
Energy Safety was notified of an incident involving a possible gas explosion in a domestic kitchen in Auckland. Two people were admitted to hospital and the property was destroyed.
The male occupant of the property was in the kitchen when the explosion occurred. He suffered burns to his entire body.
 
Accident ID: 
170706-02
 
Accident date: 
4 July 2017
 
Site: 
Domestic
 
Environment: 
Building
 
Voltage: 
N/A
 
Equipment: 
Domestic freestanding cooker
 
Accident type: 
Fire and explosion
 
Casualty: 
Non-fatality
 
Injury: 
Burn
 
Property damage level: 
Extended to the site
 
Outcome of investigation: 

The front left control knob of the cooker burner was found to be turned on. This would have allowed gas into the room and cannot be ruled out as a source of fuel for the explosion.

It is likely that the LPG hose that connected the cooker to the supply pipework came off in the explosion allowing the contents of the LPG bottle to dump into the kitchen, feeding the fire.

It is unlikely that the knob being on contributed further to the fire because when the LPG hose fell off the cooker no further gas would be supplied to the cooker.