Explosion Kills Power Plant Worker

April 6, 2000
An explosion at a Duke Energy Corp. steam plant in Spencer, N.C., killed a worker Tuesday morning.

An explosion at a Duke Energy Corp. steam plant killed a worker Tuesday morning.

The explosion happened shortly after 11 a.m. at Buck Steam Station, Spencer, N.C., one of Duke Power's eight steam plants.

A utility spokeswoman said the victim was working on a transformer when it exploded in the switchyard next to the plant's main building.

The switchyard is where power generated at the plant is transferred through wires away from the plant to the larger transmission grid.

Emergency workers said the employee suffered chemical burns on his face and hands.

The worker was airlifted to Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem where he later died. The name of the victim has not been released.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the transformer to explode.

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