A major State Highway 1 explosion could have been seconds away after three Waikato youths ignited a gas bottle below a busy bridge, emergency services say. The South Waikato youths, aged between 12 and 13, set ablaze a couch under the Putaruru Rail Overbridge at 4pm on Sunday before throwing a gas bottle into the flames. READ MORE:* Christchurch explosion: Gas fire repaired day before blast wrecked house* Gas bottle explosion hurts one in Hawkes Bay* SH1 rehab deferral angers Waikato councilLUKE KIRKEBY/ STUFF Three youths ignited this gas bottle below the Putaruru Rail Overbridge. LUKE KIRKEBY/ STUFF Travellers make their way onto the Putaruru Rail Overbridge under which three youths ignited a gas bottle. "We extinguished the fire and just to be sure we cooled the gas bottle down from a distance.

Source: Stuff July 22, 2019 03:56 UTC