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Orewa College - Source: ONE News -
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Two men are fighting for their lives after an explosion in a school boiler room.
The explosion at Orewa College north of Auckland occurred just before 3pm on Wednesday, sending scalding water and debris several metres into the air.
The men, who were both seriously injured, were airlifted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to Auckland Hospital where they are undergoing surgery.
It's confirmed that one of the men was the school's groundsman and the other was a contractor, who had been called to work on the boiler after it was reported to be giving some trouble since Tuesday afternoon.
Both the men were extremely close to the boiler when it blew up.
The first person on the scene was the school nurse, who administered first aid.
St John Ambulance said one man is understood to have burns to 90% of his body.
The other has significant head injuries and both are in critical condition.
A third person, who was not hurt in the explosion but was upset at what had happened, was treated at the scene.
The whole school was evacuated after the blast and the institution will remain closed until Friday. School authorities say students will be offered counselling if they seek it.
Police say they have now handed over the investigation to Occupational Safety and Health.
