Gas blast at US power plant kills at least 5
MIDDLETOWN, Connecticut. February 8. KAZINFORM. An explosion blew apart a power plant under construction as workers purged natural gas lines Sunday, killing at least five people and injuring a dozen or more in a blast that shook homes for miles, officials said; Kazinform refers to China Daily.
Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said at a late-afternoon news conference that at least 12 people were injured.
Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano told The Associated Press before a news conference Sunday evening that crews were still searching for survivors in the rubble at the Kleen Energy Systems plant in Middletown, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Hartford.
The 620-megawatt plant was being built to produce energy primarily using natural gas. Santostefano said workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging the gas lines, a procedure he called a "blow-down," when the explosion occurred.
Plants powered by natural gas are taking on a much larger role in generating electricity for the US Gas emits about half the greenhouse gases of coal-fired plants and new technology has allowed natural gas companies to begin to unlock gas supplies that could total more than 100 years at current usage levels.
Natural gas is used to make about a fifth of the nation's electricity; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.