"Mass casualties" after explosion at Connecticut power plant

[cosmicalstorm]

They were saying "up to 50 casualties" on my local news, lets hope it's not that bad.

At least 2 dead in Connecticut power plant explosion

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* NEW: Police report two dead in blast, expect the number to rise
* Explosion occurred Sunday morning at Kleen Power Plant in Middletown, Connecticut
* Plant was under construction and was in "testing phase," police officer says
* Facility is a gas-fired power plant, manager says

(CNN) -- At least two people were killed Sunday in an explosion at a Connecticut power plant, police said.

Two people have been confirmed dead, said Middletown, Connecticut, police Sgt. Chuck Jacobucci, but authorities expect the number to rise since they are still searching for people.

More than 100 emergency service units, including fire, police and emergency management, were responding, he said.

Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, about 15 miles from Hartford, Connecticut, said it was receiving patients from the blast, which occurred about 11:30 a.m. at the Kleen Power Plant.

The plant was under construction and had not opened, Middletown Officer Kevin White told CNN. It was set to go online later this year, he said, and was in a "testing phase."

People up to 20 miles away reported hearing or feeling the blast.

"It felt like the house was shaking," Peter Moore, who lives about 10 miles away in Durham, told CNN. He said he thought at first there had been a traffic accident on his street or there was a problem with his house. "It was really big," he said.

Moore said his mother, who lives in Woodbridge, about 20 miles away from the plant, also said she heard the explosion, and said it "sounded like someone pounded on the back door a couple of times."

"It was almost like an earthquake," nearby resident Lynn Townsend told CNN affiliate WTNH. She said she heard the explosion and went outside to see "a very big, bright orange flame" between the plant's two smokestacks, and immediately dialed 9-1-1.

"It really shook the house," she said. "Everybody was scared. The kids started to cry."

Bernadette Nyland told WTNH she was in her yard when the explosion occurred.

"They were doing the firing of the engines this morning and so something went wrong and it blew up and flames came shooting up almost as tall as that stack," she told the station.

Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance told WTNH his agency has received "an immense amount of inquiries" from residents who heard or felt the explosion.

WTNH.com coverage of Middletown explosion

The plant's general manager, Gordon Holk, confirmed the blast caused casualties, but wasn't sure how many. Fire and police officials in Middletown said there were "mass casualties," but no other details were immediately available.

The site is a 620-megawatt gas-fired power plant, according to Holk.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/07/connec ... index.html

[Edi]

It'll be a lot more than two. If the explosion could be seen and heard 20 kilometers away, they'll be digging bodies out of the rubble for a few days yet.

[darkjedi521]

Updated information from local TV station, URL contains images of the power plant in question.

Five dead in Middletown, CT, explosion
Cause of blast still not known

Updated: Sunday, 07 Feb 2010, 8:13 PM EST
Published : Sunday, 07 Feb 2010, 1:23 PM EST

Five people were killed sunday in an explosion at a power plant under construction in Middletown, Connecticut, Sunday. Authorities continue searching for anyone who may may be trapped.

At an evening news conference Mayor Sebastian Giuliano confirmed the number of fatalities. He said it was unclear exactly how many people were working at the site Sunday.

No names have been released, and not all families have been notified.

The explosion happened at the Kleen Energy natural gas and oil plant under construction on River Road around 11:17 a.m. Here are the latest details from authorities:

* 50 or so workers believed in the building today - number not clear.
* This was a working construction site 95% complete
* Workers were doing a 'blow down' to clear gas from the lines when the explosion occurred
* "Terrorism has been ruled out", mayor said
* No word on where the workers are from - are likely Connecticut people
* Fire is completely out
* State Police Major Crimes Squad on the scene, with many other state, local agencies
* Red Cross hotline - 860-347-2577

Mayor Giuliano said there was "no present or continuing threat" from substances or further explosion from the plant.

The exact cause of the explosion is unknown at this time. The plant was in the process of doing a "blow down", clearing the natural gas lines, when the explosion occurred. Testing had been going on at the plant all weekend, the mayor said.

The Kleen Energy plant was 95% complete and was due to be finished in the summer.

The mayor said there does not appear to be any serious structural damage to the building.

Two LifeStar helicopters were called to the scene to carry severely injured patients. State police deployed detectives and cadaver dogs to the scene to help Middletown authorities, state police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said. "We're sending any and all resources in the event they may be needed," Lt. Vance said.

There were initial reports there may have been 300 people in the building at the time of the explosion. Mayor Giuliano said they don't know exactly how many people were working on the site Sunday. They have to get lists from multiple contractors who are working on the plant.

"We're just trying to get a count of the persons involved," Lt. Governor Michael Fedele said.

Bernadette Nyland was outside in her yard with her dogs when she heard the blast. "They were doing the firing of the engines this morning and so something went wrong and it blew up and flames came shooting up almost as tall as that stack," she said.

Susan Matterazzo has a relative who was supposed to go to the plant today. "He's extremely upset" about what happened, she said. "He's watching it on the news just like we are and I'm just glad he is ok."

The explosion was felt in multiple towns across Connecticut, including Wallingford, North Haven, North Branford and Cheshire. WTNH-TV news anchor Darren Kramer said on Twitter was outside in North Guilford when he heard the explosion. "Sound was huge and low. Lasted several seconds. Assumed sonic boom."

Another @WTNH follower named Jennifer said via Twitter, "First thought was earthquake or huge gust of wind--whole house shook, very brief but powerful."

Shelby wrote on Twitter "my whole town was writting on facebook asking if it was a easrthquake, Northford"

Mayor Giuliano said he felt the explosion while coming out of church. "Felt almost like a sonic boom."

Others heard or felt the explosion in Oxford and as far away as Mystic.

Dozens of emergency personnel from multiple towns and agencies are on the scene. In the rush to offer assistance however it may be needed, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said via Twitter "Our HazMat and Decon trailer are on standby for Middletown."

Hospitals in Middletown and Portland went into disaster/mass casualty modes in the hours after the explosion.

Middlesex Hospital, which had been in a disaster mode, is now scaling back from its disaster plan. They are not treating burn victims, but patients have injuries to extremities, such as broken bones. WTNH reporter Sara Welch said one patient with a head injury was transported to Hartford Hospital.

Bridgeport Hospital, which has a burn center, is allso on standby, but a spokesman says they have not yet been alerted that any patient is heading their way.

Governor Jodi Rell visited the scene a few hours after the explosion. A statement from her office said the governor Rell has activated the Emergency Operations Center in Hartford, whch was "being staffed by: the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), Department of Public Health (DPH), the National Guard and the State Police. DPH is providing tents at the scene for shelter and medical triage.

The Governor also activated the Urban Search and Rescue Team, which was expected to remain on site late into the evening.

The Red Cross has set up a toll free, 24-hour hotline for anyone who is concerned about a loved one or who has questions regarding this incident; the number

is 860-347-2577.

It appears the estimate of 50 casualties comes from the number of crew known to be on site at time of the explosion, and that they were purging the natural gas lines when the place blew up. The damage in the photos doesn't look all that bad at least.

[Johonebesus]

Am I horrible that one of my first reactions was relief that it wasn't a nuclear plant, not because of the potential radiation, but because of the damage it would do to the effort to build more nuclear plants?

[White Haven]

If you're horrible, then you're in good company, that was my thought as well.

[Sarevok]

Clearly non nuclear powerplants are unsafe and must be decomissioned. Where are the pundits argueing about it like they do every time something minor and non fatal happens at a nuclear plant ?

[Liberty]

If you're horrible, then you're in good company, that was my thought as well.

Mine too.

[Zixinus]

The explosion happened at the Kleen Energy natural gas and oil plant under construction on River Road around 11:17 a.m.

Heh. Thought so.

My first thought was, "what type of plant was this?" and I guessed it right. I heard a story where a similar explosion happened (something involving pressure in the burning chamber or something) and the explosion was so loud that it shattered windows. Nuclear plants don't do that.

Clearly non nuclear powerplants are unsafe and must be decomissioned. Where are the pundits argueing about it like they do every time something minor and non fatal happens at a nuclear plant ?

Because it makes them less popular to do so (and possibly because it would require some intelligence and original thought). Coal and oil power plants, and their regular accident rate, are old and usual. For some reason they are not something to write home about and I would cynically guess that the people operating the plant have bribed any reporter to not do so (but this bit I only guess). Meanwhile, there is a knee-jerk reaction to nuclear power and how they operate (then again, I wonder how many people know how a coal/oil/gas power plants work), plus a lot of sensationalist trivia from stuff like the "china syndrome", so here we are.