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50 FEARED KILLED IN GAS BLAST

ABOVE: The shattered remains of the building where work was going on

ABOVE: Ambulances race to hospital

8th February 2010

By Steve Hughes

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UP to 50 people were feared dead and 250 injured after a massive explosion at a gas power plant in America.

The enormous blast – described as having the force of an earthquake – was caused by a natural gas leak.

Last night search dogs were sent into the building where at least 50 construction workers were on site, to hunt for survivors.

But Fire Chief Al Santostefano said there were “no signs” of life at the Kleen Energy plant in Middletown, Connecticut.

Local sources claimed at least 34 people were killed by the blast and dozens more were feared to be buried under rubble.

The explosion was felt more than 30 miles away and experts feared it could be one of the biggest industrial disasters in history.

Officer Kevin White of Middletown Police said there were “mass casualties” but could give an exact figure last night.

Flames
One member of the emergency services team, who had been into the site, said: “There are bodies everywhere.”

Eyewitnesses reported flames shooting up and black smoke billowing when the blast happened yesterday afternoon.

The explosion happened during safety tests at the site, a 620 megawatt gas-fired power plant due to come online in the summer.

Residents in Middletown, about 100 miles north-east of New York, reported windows blown out by the explosion.

Cornelia Hull, who lives about a mile from the plant, said: “The whole house shook. I didn’t know what it was, whether it was the house or the water heater or what.”

Another local, Steve Clark added: “I felt the house shake, I thought a tree fell on the house.”

Hospitals in nearby Hartford were clearing beds as they prepared to cope with the casualties.

However emergency rescue teams said they were not holding out hope of finding any survivors.

Deputy Santostefano said: “They are taking the building apart piece-by-piece now, the part that collapsed and came in, they are taking that apart in sections piece-by-piece, very carefully.”