Respected Australian winemaker killed in blast

Leading Hunter Valley winemaker Trevor Drayton has been killed in an explosion at his winery.

Drayton's badly burnt body was pulled from the wreckage left by the blast on January 17. It is thought a spark from welding work ignited ethanol fumes. Another man, believed to be Drayton's cousin, was also killed, while a third was reportedly thrown 20 metres.

Family-owned Drayton's is one of Hunter Valley's oldest wineries. Drayton himself was president of the area's vineyard association at the time.