Limerick blast left 50ft hole in wall of plant

Two separate investigations are underway into the cause of an explosion at a Limerick factory which killed a married man in his 40's.

The man who died the explosion was named locally tonight as Eric Connellan, a father of three, from Ennis, Co Clare.

Health & Safety Authority officers and gardaí launched investigations into the early morning blast at the US-owned Vistakon plant on the outskirts of Limerick.

One worker died and two others suffered minor injuries when a gas cylinder exploded in a newly-built unit at the plant shortly after 8am this morning.

Vistakon makes disposable contact lenses and it's understood that the new wing where the blast occurred was used for making coloured lenses.

The massive explosion - which happened shortly after shift workers arrived at the plant - punctured a gaping 50 ft hole in a wall at the state-of-the-art facility at Plassey Technological Park near Castletroy.

The powerful blast was felt all around the industrial estate two miles outside Limerick city centre off the Dublin Road.

Initially, it was feared that a second worker had also perished in the immediate aftermath of the huge explosion as he could not be accounted for.

However, after roster checks were carried out by management it emerged that the missing employee was, in fact, on a day off.

The two people - who suffered minor injuries - were taken to St John's Hospital in Limerick city yesterday morning but they were discharged shortly before lunchtime.

Staff at the company - which employs 400 people - were stunned as details of yesterday's horrific accident unfolded.

Many workers gathered in a huge car-park at the front of the plant to console each other while fire-men continued to douse the area where the blast happened with water.

A spokesman for Vistakon said staff were deeply shocked by the tragedy.

"On behalf of the company I would like to extend our sincere sympathy to the family. The plant is temporarily closed as staff are deeply shocked by what happened here today," said the spokesman.

It's understood senior executives from Vistakon met with members of the dead worker's family after his identity had been established.

However, management at the company were not releasing the name of the dead employee until all relatives had been informed.

Health and safety officers and Limerick gardaí are carrying out separate investigations into the cause of the blast.

The Vistakon facility is a division of the US giant multinational, Johnson & Johnson.

The company has been based at Plassey Technological Park in Limerick since 1995.