Distillery explosion blasts man through wall

A vodka distillery explosion believed to have been caused by a propane or ethanol leak blasted a man through a wall and sparked a fire at the facility.

Firefighters were called to the explosion, which occurred at approximately 8.15am on Friday at an East Bexar County vodka distillery in the US.

Crews spent 40 minutes tackling the flames and treating one worker who was sent flying through a wall from the force of the explosion.

The man did not require hospital treatment and firefighters said he was conscious and speaking when they arrived.

Residents living nearby reported a strong smell near the distillery close to the time of the explosion.

Fire investigators and distillery officials said they planned to watch surveillance footage to determine exactly what caused the blast.

Laura Jesse, Bexar County Fire Department spokesperson, told KSAT: “They’re initially thinking that there was just some sort of small spark and that either there was a leak from an ethanol or a propane tank that caused the explosion.”

The spirits industry has been victim to many fires, explosions and spillages over the years, as depicted through our list of The world’s 10 worst distillery disasters.