At least two people were killed and more were feared dead yesterday when a massive explosion rocked a gas power plant being built in Connecticut, police said.
Fire officials said they suspected a natural gas leak may have caused the blast at the Kleen Energy Systems LLC plant, and that some of the 51 construction workers who were on the site may be trapped in the rubble.
Witnesses said flames shot up and black smoke billowed out when the blast shattered the Sunday morning calm. Some people reported windows blown out, and the force was felt as far away as East Haven, a distance of 30 miles (48 km).
“The whole house shook. I didn’t know what it was, whether it was the house or the water heater or what,” said Cornelia Hull, who lives across the Connecticut river in Portland.
Ambulances from across the region and several helicopters rushed to the scene.
Eleven injured people were taken to Middlesex Hospital in nearby Middletown, said Peg Arico, manager of public relations at the hospital. Two of them were later discharged and one was transferred to a hospital in the state capital, Hartford.
The emergency department at Hartford Hospital said it had received two people injured at the plant. Earlier reports had indicated that dozens were injured.
The explosion happened just before 11:30am (16:30 GMT) during tests at the plant, a 620-megawatt gas-fired facility that was due to come online in the summer.
“It was connected with the gas, the natural gas that was coming into the building. That was part of the involvement,” said Al Santostefano, deputy fire marshal in Middletown. A fire official said a search-and-rescue team was trying to find any construction workers who may still be trapped.
“I felt the ground shake and thought a tree had fallen nearby,” said Ethan Goller, in Ivoryton, 20 miles (32km) from Middletown.
There was no danger to the public, the fire official told reporters. Local hospitals were on mass casualty alert.
State emergency official Betsy Hard said local authorities had asked the state for help. Connecticut governor Jodi Rell was due to visit Middletown and had activated the state’s emergency operations centre in Hartford, her office said.
The Department of Public Health was providing tents at the scene for medical triage and shelter, with temperatures hovering near freezing and a brisk wind blowing.
Publicly available information compiled during the approval process for the Kleen Energy plant said it would operate on natural gas using a combined cycle turbine.
Such turbines reuse waste heat produced during the generation process, increasing the plant’s efficiency.
Much of the plant’s power generation equipment was supplied by Germany’s Siemens and was being installed but not yet operating, Siemens spokeswoman Melanie Forbrick said.
“This was a very tragic accident and our deepest sympathy goes out to all those who have been affected,” she said. “Siemens had one employee working at the site at the time of the incident and he has been accounted for and is safe.” Siemens is working to help in whatever way it can, she said.
OG Industries of Torrington, Connecticut, is overseeing all local, state, and federal licensing, engineering and construction of the project.