Southern Australia Power Station Blast Injures 3

Three people, including two firefighters, have been injured at Alinta Energy’s Northern Power Station outside Port Augusta, South Australia, after an explosion on the morning of June 7.

The Country Fire Service and Metropolitan Fire Service were called to the power station about 11am where a fire had broken out in a coal storage facility.

Crews were trying to prevent the fire from spreading to about 79 tons of coal within the site.

One employee suffered burns to his face and hands and was flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Two firefighters were taken to the Port Augusta Hospital where one was later released.

A CFS spokesman said the cause of the blaze was still unknown. An Alinta Energy spokeswoman said the fire had started in a coal bunker and sparked an explosion. She said the incident was now under control but a decision had been made to take the power station unit out of service as a precaution.

The fire is not expected to cause disruption to the local power supply.