An explosion at a natural gas and oil plant under construction in the United States killed was feared to have killed up to a dozen or more people among the 300 who were reported to be at the site at the time of the blast. Police said the explosion in the northeastern state of Connecticut occurred during a test, and no terrorist activity was suspected. Authorities Sunday evening said they have confirmed five deaths and that dozens were injured. The death toll is expected to rise. One eyewitness told the Hartford Courant newspaper website, "There are bodies everywhere,” some of them buried under the rubble. The main building was leveled. One area resident told a Connecticut’s WTNH television, “They were doing the firing of the engines this morning and something went wrong and it blew up and flames came shooting up almost as tall as that stack.” The huge explosion lasted several seconds, was felt as far away as 15 miles and caused damage to nearby houses, whose residents feared they had suffered an earthquake.
