Workers killed in blast at power plant

Officials said there were fatalities at the Kleen Energy plant, in Middletown, south of Hartford, Connecticut, though they did not know how many.

Last night, a fire service spokesman said the number of injured was fewer than 50. A spokesman for the nearby Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, said 11 people had been brought in. Two were treated and released, eight were being treated for broken bones, abdominal injuries, blunt force trauma and similar injuries. Three were being treated at Hartford Hospital.

The workers were purging natural gas lines when a powerful explosion blew off part of the building under construction, officials said.

Dogs were brought in to search for victims in the rubble, but there were no signs of life last night.

The plant was being built to produce electricity using natural gas.