An explosion in an electrical transformer room at a shopping center in the west Australian city of Perth left one man dead and up to ten people injured, authorities said today.
Three of the injured were badly burnt, with one of them suffered 80 per cent burns to his body.
Witnesses say they saw people "burning from head to toe" as they ran from the blast.
Some of the injured were electrical contractors inside a store at the Galleria centre in Perth, an ambulance spokesman said.
"All of these people are in for a long stint in hospital," the spokesman said.
A woman who suffered smoke inhalation was also taken to hospital while several other people were treated for shock and smoke inhalation at the scene.
Fire and emergency services cordoned off the area with investigations into what caused the blast underway.