A school caretaker who suffered burns to 90% of his body in a boiler room explosion at Orewa College has died.
A second man received significant head injuries.
The men, one a contractor and the other a member of Orewa College's ground staff, were flown by Westpac rescue helicopter to Auckland City Hospital after the incident on Wednesday afternoon.
The caretaker was later transported to Middlemore Hospital, but died overnight, a hospital spokesperson says. He was Richard Nel, 59, of Orewa.
Orewa College will remain closed on Thursday while an investigation continues, with counselling available to staff and students when the school reopens on Friday.
Both St John and the Fire Service were alerted to the explosion about 2.40pm.
A Fire Service spokesman says firefighters put out a fire, which was described as not major.
Fire safety officers are investigating the cause, and they guarded the scene overnight.
Orewa College, about 40km north of downtown Auckland, has a roll of about 1,750.
Principal Kate Shevland said on Wednesday night staff and pupils heard a loud explosion and could see steam coming from the boiler room.
An evacuation drill was initiated, and the school nurse and other staff members began giving first aid to the men until ambulance officers arrived.
Shevland says the two men were checking out the boiler, which had a malfunction.
She believes one of them was in the room and the other outside when the explosion occurred.
A third person, who was not hurt in the explosion but was upset at what had happened, was treated at the scene.
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