1 dead, 3 missing after UK power plant collapse

LONDON – An unused power station in southern England partially collapsed Tuesday, killing one person and injuring five others, British emergency services said.

Describing the collapse as a “major incident,” Oxfordshire fire services said search operations at the Didcot plant 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of London were ongoing and three people were still reported missing.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse or who the dead and injured were. Photographs of the plant showed that part of a building appeared to have collapsed. Witnesses told British media they heard a loud explosion.

South Central Ambulance sent six ambulances, two air ambulances and a hazardous response team to the site Tuesday afternoon.

The incident occurred at an old coal- and oil-fueled plant that has been closed since 2013 and is slated for demolition. The Didcot facility also houses an operating gas-powered plant.

The fire services said although dust from the collapse covered a large area, there were no hazardous materials found within the building.