NBC is reporting …

Dozens of injuries are reported at a power plant explosion in Middletown Sunday morning.

The explosion happened around 11:30 a.m. at the Kleen Energy Plant on River Road.

Reached by phone, plant general manger Gordon Holk said he was enroute to the plant, and did want to speculate on the number of injured.��He said the plant is a�620�megawatt�gas-fired power plant.

People�Durham, Wallingford, Middlefield, East Hampton and as far away as Madison and Old Saybrook�reported feeling the explosion.� Black smoke was seen billowing the plant along the banks of the Connecticut River.

Mutual aid was called in from the surrounding towns Durham, Haddam, Middlefield, Cromwell and Berlin.� Lifestar has been called to the scene to transport the injured.

UPDATE from WTNH:

• There are two fatalities.
• 50 workers believed in the building today
• This was a working construction site
• Workers were doing a ‘blow down’ to clear gas from the lines when the explosion occurred
• No word on where the workers are from
• Fire is completely out
• Local residents told to stay away
• Windows at Conn Valley Hospital in Middletown broken out by the explosion

UPDATE 2/08/2010:

Looks like 5 people died at yesterday’s Middletown Kleen Energy Plant explosion. The Advocate has some background on the plant, and more details about the explosion.

While Torrington based O&G was the chief contractor in charge, it looks like local 777, a plumber and pipefitters union had many members on site on Sunday.

The Courant is reporting that the federal Chemical Safety Board was considering changing safety regulations in “blow down” procedures based on an explosion at a slim-jim factory in North Carolina, where a� natural gas explosion caused four deaths, three critical life-threatening burn injuries and over 67 people with injuries serious enough to go to the hospital.