One person dies following explosion at Melbourne chemical factory

An explosion at a chemical factory in Melbourne, Australia killed one person and led to an evacuation of the local area on 12 October. The incident happened at a facility operated by chemical blending manufacturer ACB Group in the western Melbourne suburb of Derrimut.

In a statement, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said it responded to an incident at 09:44 local time following reports of a chemical explosion. The first call received by FRV was from an automatic alarm at the ACB Group factory.

Initial indications suggested a chemical reaction had led to an explosion, FRV said. The fire department arrived on scene in under five minutes to discover a fire engulfing a warehouse at the rear of the factory.

ACB Group workers at the facility had already started to self-evacuate the factory, however firefighters confirmed that a deceased person was discovered inside the warehouse.

FRV said that approximately 30 appliances, including HAZMAT and roughly 80 firefighters with breathing apparatus, responded to the fire which was contained by a sprinkler system. The fire was eventually called under control at 12:00 local time.

Victoria Police confirmed in a statement that a 44-year-old man had died in the incident. No other injuries had been reported. The circumstances surrounding the fire are yet to be determined and investigations remain ongoing, police officials have said.