Man dies in servo explosion at Peak Hill

A man has died from burns after an explosion at service station in central western
NSW, emergency services say.

The blast occurred while fuel was being transferred between two trucks at the fuel
depot on the Newell Highway at Peak Hill, near Parkes, at about midday (AEST),
firefighters said.

The man died at the scene from burns to 90 per cent of his body, ambulance officers
said.

A second man, who was the driver of one of the trucks, was taken to Peak Hill
Hospital to be treated for shock but was otherwise uninjured, they said.

Sheridan Kirk, an employee at an agricultural supplies store next to the service
station, says she thought the walls of the shop were going to fall down.

She said the massive explosion was followed by plumes of black smoke filling the sky.

"There was an explosion. It was just a really huge bang," she told AAP.

"We felt like one of the walls was going to fall down.
"You couldn't really smell fuel or anything and the main flames were out fairly quickly, I think.

"We're just all a bit shaken knowing that he didn't survive."
Firefighters were on the scene within seven minutes and quickly extinguished a small
fire, a NSW Fire Brigades spokesman said.

Damage to the trucks and premises was minimal, but the nearby area was evacuated as
a precaution, he said.

"There was an evacuation zone of 500 metres in all directions."
Students from two nearby schools were evacuated and temporarily relocated, police said.

The Newell Highway, known locally as Caswell Street, was closed and traffic diversions put in place. Police said the highway would likely remain closed for many hours.