Plant blast under investigation

Federal investigators headed to Connecticut yesterday to determine the cause of an explosion at an unfinished power plant that killed at least five workers and hospitalized dozens of others.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is sending seven officials to the privately-owned Kleen Energy Systems LLC plant in Middletown, which was in the final stages of construction when the blast occurred on Sunday.

Local authorities suspect a natural gas leak.

Investigators will examine what was happening at the time of the accident, including initial media reports that gas purging had occurred before the blast, said lead investigator Don Holstrom, who works out of the board’s Denver office.

The agency is charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents.

Last week, it issued urgent recommendations that fuel gas codes be changed to improve safety when gas pipes are being purged, or cleared of air, during maintenance or installation.