World IN BRIEF : GUATEMALA : 21 Dead in Blasts at Geothermal Station
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A well exploded at an unfinished geothermal power station in western Guatemala, killing at least 21 people, officials said. Another 30 people were reported missing under the debris of shanty homes that were smashed by the hail of hot stones. Officials at the National Electric Institute, a government monopoly, said hundreds of tons of rock, mud and earth spewed out when the well blew its top. The plant, near a sporadically active volcano, is designed to tap underground steam for electricity.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
