Dust Eyed as Cause of Explosion, Fire at Bitumen Plant

Emergency crews responded to an explosion and fire a bitumen plant in Parkes, Australia on Wednesday morning, the Parkes Champion-Postreported.

Firefighters were called to the Civil Independence facility located in the Australian state of New South Wales at about 7:30 a.m. Officials told the newspaper that dust and leaking diesel fuel were probably the cause of explosion. Paint on the exterior of the dust extraction equipment caught fire during the incident. 

No injuries were reported during the incident. Staff at the site put down the fire on the equipment and firefighters provided cooling for the site, according to the Champion-Post’s coverage.

The Parkes site is one of two plants operated by Civil Independence, an Oakey, Queensland-based firm founded in 2008 that provides flexible pavement repair and construction services, information on the company’s website said.

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