THREE KILLED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20919, 26 September 1939, Page 9

THREE KILLED

terrific explosion TRAGEDY IN MELBOURNE EMPLOYEES IN PANIC (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) MELBOURNE, Sept. 25 Two women and a man were killed in a terrific explosion which destroyed the cartridge house and ammunition packing section of Imperial Chemical Industries (Nobel, Australasia, Limited), at Deer Park this afternoon. The explosion was heard throughout the metropolitan area and for a radius of 20 miles, and broke windows a mile away. About 300 employees, mostly girls, in this section of the works were blinded by smoke as they fled from the buildings in a shower of splintered wood, iron and concrete. None was seriously injured. The killed were Francis O’Gorman, aged 25; Lillian Gordon, aged 34; and Ethel Foster, aged 29. All were killed instantly. Fear of Sabotage For fear of sabotage, the premises were quickly surrounded by military guards, but to-night it was officially announced that the explosion was accidental. A sheet of flame rose 100 ft. above the works when the explosion occurred, and it was feared the whole works would go up. Hundreds of screaming girls ran from the works and some were hit by falling debris. The girls were sent home for the day, but will resume work in the morning.