Blast That Killed Six at Edison Plant Blamed on Faulty Weld

An explosion that killed six workers and badly burned 10 others last month at Southern California Edison’s Mohave Generating Station here was the result of a faulty weld, a preliminary report said Monday.

“It appears to be a steam pipe rupture in a faulty weld,” Edison spokesman Bob Krauch said. The finding was contained in a memo issued by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Krauch said that tests are not expected to be completed until August and that the utilities commission will not have a definitive answer on the June 9 accident until later this year.

The accident occurred when a large pipe carrying 1,000-degree steam burst near the plant’s control room and cafeteria, burning 16 plant employees.

One person was killed instantly. Five others died later at area hospitals, and five remain hospitalized with burns from the scalding steam.

Krauch said that for safety reasons, the utility decided to replace 800 feet of pipe at the coal-fired 1,480-megawatt plant on the banks of the Colorado River, about 85 miles south of Las Vegas, including pipe in the unit not damaged in the explosion.

He said that plant managers had planned to resume operations in half of the plant this week but that Mohave will now remain closed for four more months.

Krauch said the repairs will cost the utility about $5 million.