NATIONAL NEWS

1 person killed in boiler explosion at southeastern Texas power plant

May 31, 2023, 9:49 AM

FRANKLIN, Texas (AP) — One person was killed when a boiler exploded at a southeastern Texas power plant Wednesday morning, according to a spokesperson for Dallas-based Luminant.

“A contractor was fatally injured” in the blast about 8 a.m. at the Oak Grove Power Plant, according to a statement from spokesperson Meranda Cohn for Luminant, which owns the plant.

“All other employees and contractors have been accounted for and there are no other known injuries at this time,” Cohn said.

Robertson County Emergency Management Director Bill Huggins says there was no fire and no danger to the public in the nearby town of Franklin, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northwest of Houston.

The cause of the explosion remained under investigation, according to Cohn’s statement, and the plant remained in operation and generating electricity.

Luminant will continue to work closely with the contractor’s employer and state and federal regulators to investigate the cause of this event.

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1 person killed in boiler explosion at southeastern Texas power plant