Criminal probe is launched in Conn. plant blast

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Source: AP

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press Writers John Christoffersen, Associated Press Writers – Mon Feb 8, 9:22 pm ET

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Authorities launched a criminal investigation Monday into the cause of an explosion that killed five people at a power plant under construction, saying they couldn't rule out negligence.

"If everything went right, we wouldn't all be here right now," Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said. "There's a point where negligence raises to the level of criminal conduct, and that's what we're investigating."

The powerful explosion blew apart large swaths of the nearly completed 620-megawatt Kleen Energy plant as workers for the construction company, O&G Industries Inc., were purging a gas line Sunday morning. The blast tore apart sheet metal that covered the plant's sides and left parts of the complex so unstable that rescuers were unable to work Monday because of the danger of collapse.

The mayor said rescue crews had been unable to get to all areas of the plant and he could not say for certain that no more victims would be found. But authorities also said everyone who was assigned to work at the plant at the time of the explosion was accounted for.

Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano said the death toll should stand at five.

"We needed something to lift spirits around here, and that definitely did it," he said.

The men who died were identified by police as Peter Chetulis, of Thomaston; Ronald J. Crabb, 42, of Colchester; Raymond Dobratz, 58, of Old Saybrook; Chris Walters, 42, of Florissant, Mo.; and Roy Rushton, of Hamilton, Ontario.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_power_plant_explosion;_ylt=AuDDOQxuRM_3Swe9.ry4VbZvzwcF;_ylu=X3oDMTJxbWViNWJ1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjA5L3VzX3Bvd2VyX3BsYW50X2V4cGxvc2lvbgRjcG9zAzMEcG9zAzExBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2NyaW1pbmFscHJvYg