Inquest into power station blast adjourned

The force of the explosion was "considerable"

An inquest into the deaths of three workmen engulfed in a power station explosion, has been adjourned until Wednesday.

Andrew Sherwood, 36, of Hartlepool, and Darren Higgins, 28, of Normanby, near Middlesbrough, died at the scene of the blast at the plant, then run by Enron, in August 2001.

They were so badly burned they could only be identified through dental records.

A third man, Lawrence Surtees, 40, of Hawthorn, County Durham, died in hospital the following day, after suffering 90% burns.

Andy Sherwood: Dead at the scene

The inquest in Middlesbrough heard how an attempt to change the voltage at Europe's biggest gas-fired power station resulted in the explosion.

The inquest heard evidence from Ian Clifford, site director at the plant.

He said that during a planned maintenance programme, part of the plant needed to be shut down and electrical power redistributed to maintain essential supplies.

Short circuit

He said the men had been trying to "tap" the transformer to adjust the voltage, so that power could be continued for maintenance work to be carried out.

But it could not be "tapped" while it was switched on, he added, and the men's attempt to do so - following a meeting of senior staff - was what caused the explosion.

The mechanism short-circuited and become hot, causing oil within it to heat up and boil, Mr Clifford said.

Darren Higgins: Died in explosion

The blast caused a huge fireball to envelop the area, taking the top off the transformer and causing extensive damage to that part of the plant.

Home Office pathologist Dr Peter Cooper said all three men had died as a result of extensive burns.

A fourth man, Graeme White, sustained severe burns to his face and hands but later made a full recovery.

The final decision on whether criminal proceedings will be brought will not be made until after the inquest is concluded.

The inquest is expected to last four days.