Man seriously injured in welding accident

A man who suffered serious burns to his face after an acetylene explosion at the Port of Nelson this morning is in a stable condition in hospital.

The man, in his mid-30s, was taken to Nelson Hospital with "very serious injuries", St John Ambulance spokesman Ian Henderson said.

The man had been welding in a tank at the port when the explosion, possibly caused by a build up of gas, happened about 11.30am, police said.

Department of Labour spokesman Colin Patterson said the department would be interviewing witnesses and assessing evidence to determine what had caused the explosion, which happened at Diverse Engineering Limited on Vickerman St.

It had a six-month time limit on deciding whether to prosecute, he told NZPA.

The man was in a stable condition this afternoon, a Nelson Hospital spokeswoman said.

Diverse Engineering would not comment on the incident.

A Fire Service spokesman said firefighters attended but were not required.

- NZPA