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An Ontario man was among the five people killed in Sunday’s explosion at a power plant under construction in Middleton, Conn.

U.S. authorities have identified him as Roy Rushton of Hamilton.

Also killed in the blast were:

• Peter Chetulis of Thomaston, Conn.
• Ronald Crabb of Colchester, Conn.
• Raymond Dobratz of Ancient Saybrook, Conn.
• Chris Walters of Florissant, Mo.

The explosion at the Kleen Energy plant in Middletown, Conn., on Sunday shook houses for kilometres. Five died in the blast, but it’s not clear if other workers are accounted for. (Catherine Avalone/Associated Press/The Middletown Press)More than two dozen people were injured in the powerful explosion, which shook houses kilometres away. Hospital officials said most were treated and released.

A fire official said no one is believed to be in the rubble of the Kleen Energy Systems plant in Middletown, about 32 kilometres south of Hartford.

But, Middletown Mayor Sebastian Guiliano said rescue crews have been unable to get to all areas of the plant and he could not say for certain that no more victims would be found.

Authorities said one section of the plant was too unstable to search on Monday. They were also missing an exact roster of everyone on duty when the blast occurred.

The explosion happened as workers were clearing gas lines of air, but the exact cause remains under investigation. Authorities also launched a criminal investigation Monday, saying they could not rule out criminal negligence.

“I lost a couple of excellent friends up there,” Michael Rosario, a business representative with the local Plumbers and Pipefitters union, said as he broke down crying Monday. “I’m just so sorry something like this happened.

“There’s still a lot of unanswered questions,” Rosario added.

Welders and other workers were at the site Monday, preparing to make it safer for emergency personnel, said Ed Reilly, president of the Greater Hartford-New Britain Building Trades Council.

Roster needed to confirm victims

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Monday morning that officials still haven’t received rosters of workers who were at the Kleen Energy Systems plant Sunday.

“There are a number of contractors who do the work at the building,” Rell told WTNH-TV.

“Until we really have a roster of the names of those individuals that are in each of those groups and who was working on Sunday, we need that before we can do anything else. We’re still confirming the number of people,” she said.

“There’s still uncertainty about who came in and who didn’t come in yesterday,” Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano added.

Michael Rosario, centre, business representative for the Plumbers and Pipefitters union, is comforted after telling reporters about losing three friends in the explosion. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

Santostefano also said there were “piles of rubble everywhere, debris everywhere. In some places the debris is as high as 10 feet.”

Local fire investigators and federal authorities on Monday were expected to start their investigation into what caused the explosion at the nearly completed 620-megawatt plant.

It was being built to produce energy primarily using natural gas, which accounts for about a fifth of the country’s electricity. Workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging a gas line, clearing it of air, when the explosion occurred around 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Santostefano said.

The blast left huge pieces of metal that once encased the plant peeling off its sides. A large swath of the structure was blackened and surrounded by debris, but the building, its roof and its two smokestacks were still standing at the site.

About 50 to 60 people were in the area at the time, he said.

With files from The Associated Press

Michael Jackson’s physician, Conrad Murray, right, arrives for his arraignment at the Airport Branch Courthouse in Los Angeles on Monday.
(Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press)

Dr. Conrad Murray, who was caring for Michael Jackson at the time of the pop star’s death, has pleaded not guilty after being charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter.

Los Angeles prosecutors announced the long-awaited charge against Murray, a cardiologist with practices in Houston and Las Vegas, early Monday.

Murray surrendered to police, appearing in a Los Angeles court in the morning, to enter his plea. Bail was set at $75,000 US.

Jackson’s father, Joe, his mother, Katherine, and siblings LaToya, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Randy sat behind prosecutors during the court appearance.

Jackson’s family members have said publicly they wanted the doctor to face the more serious charge of second-degree murder.

Jackson was preparing for a string of sold-out appearances in London, England, when he died last June in Los Angeles at age 50.

Plagued by sleeplessness, he had hired Murray as a personal physician as he took on a tough schedule ahead of his comeback concerts.

Prosecutors allege he gave Jackson the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep, but that instead led to his death.

Los Angeles investigators were methodical in building a case against Murray, taking six months to investigate the doctor’s actions and where he obtained the drugs found in the pop star’s Los Angeles home.

They may have been wary after observing the missteps in prosecuting high-profile cases like O.J. Simpson and actor Robert Blake, both of whom were acquitted of murder.

Coroner rules homicide

A coroner ruled last summer that Jackson’s death was a homicide caused by acute intoxication of propofol, with other sedatives a contributing factor. But, they said he was otherwise healthy, a factor that may weigh against Murray in court.

Detectives spoke to more than 10 medical experts in the course of their investigation to see if his behaviour fell outside the boundaries of reasonable medical practice.

Court documents show Murray told police he administered the drug to the singer. He also was with Jackson when household staff called for paramedics.

Murray appears to have obtained the drug legally and its use is not in itself a crime. Part of the case may rest on what happened between the administration of the drugs and when emergency help was summoned.

Prosecutors allege Murray spent part of that time on his cellphone, making non-emergency calls.

If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he could face a maximum of four years in prison.

With files from The Associated Press

Ricky Gervais poses on Jan. 11, 2009, for a photo backstage at the 66th annual Golden Globe Awards. He’s accepted an invitation to Banff in June. (Mark J.Terrill/Associated Press)

Ricky Gervais, the British comedian who made The Office, will be presented with the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award at this year’s Banff Television Festival.

Gervais will be in Banff, Alta., in June to receive the award and participate in an interview about his career and success to date.

The Ustinov award is given annually at the TV festival to recognize outstanding comedic performance. Previous winners include John Cleese, Bob Newhart and Martin Small.

Gervais won two Emmys and three Golden Globes for The Office, his acerbic comedy about office life that debuted in Britain in 2001. The U.S. version of the show adapted his original scripts.

Gervais has also had success as a standup comedian and with his online series The Ricky Gervais Show. He starred in films The Invention of Lying and A Night in the Museum and hosted this year’s Golden Globes.

Banff TV Festival organizers called him “the most influential British comedian since Charlie Chaplin.”

The much-decorated Gervais waxed comedic about his trip to Banff.

“This is probably the greatest honour of my career. Only the Nobel Peace Prize can top this, but I will only accept that in person if the ceremony is held somewhere as gorgeous as Banff,” he said in a statement released Monday.

The Banff TV festival is taking place at the same time as digital media conference NextMEDIA, June 13-16.