A man died after an oil tank he was welding blasted in Gatundu town.
The Tuesday evening tragedy at a Shell petrol station left residents and traders in shock.
The deceased was working with others in removing old oil tanks at the station.
Gatundu subcounty police commander Wilmort Mwakio confirmed the incident saying the man was identified as Leonard Yegon.
“They started the works last week and they had already removed five out of the seven oil tanks. However one of the remaining tanks didn’t have a hook which was important for easy removal," Mwakio said.
"The deceased went ahead to weld a hook on the tank and it’s then that it exploded. He died on the spot from injuries afflicted by the huge impact."
The police boss noted the tanks were empty but suspects the hot air in the tank made it explode.
“It was a very unfortunate tragedy because they were on the verge of completing their assignment. The loud bang that resulted from the blast brought the entire town to a standstill,” he said.
Those who witnessed the incident said they regretted that one of the workers died.
"I heard a loud bang and the next thing I saw was the deceased being tossed up. We rushed to the scene hoping to rescue him but he was gravely injured,” Benson Kamau, a boda boda rider said.
The management of the petrol station declined to talk about the incident.
The deceased’s body was taken to Gatundu Level 5 Hospital awaiting autopsy.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
