Blast Kills 2, Injures 49 at Florida Electric Plant

A thunderous explosion heard at least 35 miles away rocked a power plant Thursday morning, killing two workers and injuring 49 other people, three critically.

The blast tore a large section from a building holding the six coal-fired generators at the Tampa Electric Co. plant on the edge of Tampa Bay, two miles from downtown.

“I heard a boom and saw a huge fireball coming,” one worker at the plant said. “I thought I was back in Vietnam.”

A leak of hydrogen gas was believed to have caused the blast, which happened as contractors tested a generator after routine maintenance, sheriff’s deputies said. Hydrogen is used as a coolant for the generators.

Steve Jenkins, a spokesman for the electric company, said the blast damaged just one of the generators. The fire started by the explosion was brought under control within about 15 minutes, rescue workers said.

The body of Johnny Bass, 52, who worked for a contractor hired to give the unit its spring tune-up, was pulled from rubble. Another worker who suffered burns, Edward Barker, 57, died at a hospital.

Thirty-nine of the injured were taken to a hospital. Many of those hurt suffered cuts and smoke inhalation.

“I thought I was going to meet my maker or go to hell, and it made me want to get right with God,” said Robert Worley, a worker who escaped injury.

The plant, with a work force of about 250, was shut down after the blast. Jenkins said the electric company would have to assess the damage before deciding when to start the plant again.

Electrical service to customers was not interrupted.

The company supplies power for 500,000 customers. The plant accounts for about one-third of the utility’s generating capacity.

The state coordinating council that oversees Florida’s power grid, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, issued a “generating capacity alert” on Thursday because of the unexpected outage at the plant.