Official says cause of Conn. plant blast near as victim’s relative says project had problems

Fire official: Cause of Conn. plant explosion near

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — A fire official says investigators are close to pinpointing the cause of an explosion that killed five workers at a power plant under construction in Connecticut.

Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano tells The Associated Press that officials are close to identifying the point of origin for Sunday’s explosion at Kleen Energy Systems, and that will help them determine the cause.

Also Wednesday, the brother of one of the blast’s victim said he was unhappy with the project and had described problems, tensions and pressure to finish the job.

Carl Crabb says his brother, Ron, told him “the job was really screwed up” and he wished he hadn’t taken it.

Crabb’s account comes after the son of another worker killed said his father was working more than 80 hours per week.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) — A federal investigator says employees of the main contractor at a Connecticut power plant that exploded have had unfettered access to the site and could compromise probes into the deadly blast.

Don Holmstrom, the lead investigator for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, says he’s concerned that employees of O&G Industries could unintentionally alter the scene at the Kleen Energy Systems plant in Middletown. O&G declined to comment.

Holmstrom says evidence, including a camera and a combustible gas detector, has been removed.

The chemical board’s investigators are at odds with state and local authorities over being denied access to the site. The agency is weighing whether to use its legal authority.

Five people died and a dozen were wounded in the explosion Sunday.