At least five people are dead and 12 injured in the explosion early today of a gas-fired power plant on the River Road in Middletown.
There are fears the death toll will rise.
The injured have been taken to three area hospitals, while some of those not seriously injured were treated at the scene.
State police are at the plant with search and rescue dogs, but it appears it has turned from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation, according to a source at the scene.
First reports were that about 100 people were inside the building at the time of the explosion, but a number of employees did leave around 6:30 a.m. after finishing the night shift. It’s estimated that about 60 people were still inside the building when the blast occurred around 11:15 a.m. It’s not known how many made it out.
At least 30 ambulances responded to the scene, as well as the two Lifestar helicopters.
A witness said the explosion caused a “massive ball of fire 40 to 50 feet into the air.”
Gov. M. Jodi Rell activated the Emergency Operations Center in Hartford and is 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.
Rell is on the scene.
Windows in nearby homes were blown out by the blast.
People living miles away from the plant, some in Meriden and Wallingford, reported they felt the earth shake as a result of the explosion.
One Guilford resident said it felt like a “mild earthquake” and called police, who said it was due to the power plant explosion, 16 miles away.
I live in Guilford, Ct and a few minutes ago experience a shaking of my home…I thought it was a mild earthquake…upon calling police, they informed me that it was due to a power plant explosion in Middletown…16 miles away. My prayers that all in Middletown are OK.
Comment by JRob — February 7th, 2010 @ 11:45 am
I’m in Wallingford and I felt it, it shook my house also. I hope no one was hurt.
Comment by SLager — February 7th, 2010 @ 11:59 am
I live in Meriden, CT and also felt the shake. I even went into the basement to see if everything was okay. My husband called and said he had heard about the explosion and wanted to see if we had experienced anything. Keep us posted.
Comment by Leann — February 7th, 2010 @ 12:00 pm
Felt the same explosion here in Meriden.
Comment by Robert — February 7th, 2010 @ 12:01 pm
It was heard and felt here in Wallingford too!
Comment by W — February 7th, 2010 @ 12:05 pm
Felt it in meriden shook my house
Comment by Jordan — February 7th, 2010 @ 12:21 pm
Hey Ct Post, you quote a posted comment from an earlier article? Ha Ha that has to be the absolute nadir of journalism! You just tacked the comment onto the end of the article…. too funny.
Comment by JayTee — February 7th, 2010 @ 7:01 pm
We felt the explosion in Cheshire. We thought the furnace blew up.
Comment by Ann — February 7th, 2010 @ 7:11 pm
I live in Durham about 12 miles away and I thought it was a sonic boom it shook the windows.
Comment by Don — February 8th, 2010 @ 6:25 am
I live in Woodbridge and we heard and felt a deep double-rumble echoing across the hills north west of us we – thought it was an earthquake
Comment by Maude — February 8th, 2010 @ 7:52 am
The blast rattled our house in Ansonia. It got our attention!
Comment by Roger Bednar — February 8th, 2010 @ 1:08 pm
Fire Marshalls are already investigating the cause of the explosion. I hope this gets resolved soon in order to prevent anything like this from happening again. Let’s pray for all the victims
Comment by Ct Pest Control — February 17th, 2010 @ 11:07 pm