United States - gas explosion
Five dead in power plant blast
Article published on the 2010-02-08 Latest update 2010-02-08 12:01 TU
The Kleen Energy plant, before the blast
(Photo: Reuters)
The 620-megawatt plant, said to be one of the largest power facilities to be planned in New England for many years, was still under construction.
The mayor of Middletown Connecticut, Sebastian Giuliano, told a news conference on Sunday evening that the accident was a gas explosion, ruling out terrorism. He said it was not yet clear how many people were in the plant when the blast happened Sunday morning.
"There could be anywhere from 100 to 200 people working on the site on any given day," said Giuliano. "Most of the people working there were evacuated from the building when they ran the test," he added.
Rescue workers assisted by search dogs hunted through the debris at the plant, where a fire broke out following the accident, but was quickly brought under control.
The future gas-fired energy production plant is located on the outskirts of Middletown, close to residential housing.
In Washington, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had arrived on site to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
"The safety and health of workers is of paramount importance to me and to the US Department of Labour," Solis assured.
The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said it would send a seven-person team to the blast site. The team is expected on the scene midday Monday, the independent investigative agency said in a statement.
"The CSB's investigative team will examine the activities that were ongoing at the time of this accident, including any gas purging, as indicated by initial media reports," lead investigator Don Holmstrom added.
