FIVE MEN HAVE died and one has been seriously injured at an industrial estate in Lincolnshire, England following an explosion in a unit which locals say was used to distill illegal vodka.

The five unnamed men are believed to have died instantly from the force of the explosion at the Broadfield Lane industrial estate in Boston at around 7pm yesterday with residents reporting thick, black smoke rising from the scene.

The unit where the explosion originated was around 30ft by 15ft and was less than 600 feet from neighbouring allotments and a block of residential flats, according to the Telegraph.

The Guardian reports that high temperatures from the fire set cars outside on fire and buckled roller gates covering the entrance forcing the firefighters who arrived on the scene to cut their way through with hydraulic equipment.

The sixth injured man was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, BBC News reports.

A witness said that a man had been seen running from the industrial estate “with his arm all ablaze.” It is believed this man is now being treated for his injuries at a hospital in Nottingham.

Local claims that the men were migrant workers who had been distilling illegal alcohol are being investigated by police who said it was just one line of inquiry they were following.

The Telegraph reports cites local council officials as saying that a number of shops in the area had been raided in recent weeks amid suggestions that the practice of selling illegally-created alcohol was “widespread”.

The counterfeit vodka that was seized is reported to have the potential to blind those who drink it.