CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — UPDATE: 12 p.m. Thursday Sept. 16 - A Corpus Christi man is recovering in a San Antonio burn center after an explosion inside the apartment he was working on.
The man was injuring while resurfacing a bathtub Wednesday in a vacant apartment at the Chandler's Mill complex near Airline and Holly.
Firefighters say the coating they were applying to the tub caused fumes to build up in the space they were working.
Somehow, a spark caused the flames to ignite, leading to the explosion, which blew out the exterior wall to the bathroom.
The victim suffered burns to more than 40 percent of his body. He is being treated at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
The incident happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
“It could have been a lot worse," Corpus Christi Fire Department Battalion Chief Billy Belyeu said. "We could have had people at home. Luckily people were at work, so nobody was at home at the adjacent apartments. Otherwise it could have been a lot worse.”
The other worker was not injured and needed no medical attention.
No one else was in the other apartments surrounding that unit.
Contractors have since sealed the hole in the wall.