On October 2, 2007, a chemical fire in a hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colorado killed five contractors. The workers had become trapped in an empty water tunnel while performing routine maintenance.
The Incident
Nine contractors were painting a pipe with anti-corrosive epoxy when an equipment malfunction caused a machine to catch fire around 2:00 p.m. A radio was dropped down the 1,500 foot pipe around 2:40 p.m. and the workers used it to report that they were unharmed. Toxic fumes and uncertainty about the severity of the fire prevented rescuers from reaching the trapped contractors until around 8:00 p.m., at which time the contractors' bodies were discovered.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Occurred at Xcel Energy's Cabin Creek Station plant
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Workers were contractors for RPI Coating
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Deaths believed to have been caused by smoke and chemical inhalation
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Four other contractors managed to escape the pipe, but sustained injuries
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Fact:
The steep, 55-degree angle of the pipe hindered escape and rescue efforts
