NEW DELHI, Apr 14: Nine workers were killed, and 14 were injured after a boiler exploded at a power plant in Sakti district in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
The Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said the explosion took place around 2 p.m. at the Vedanta Ltd. power plant in Singhitarai village. “Nine workers have died, and 14 sustained injuries. Police and district administration teams are at the spot,” he said. The injured are undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.
Another police officer said boilers generate heat of around 600 degrees Celsius, and when the blast occurred, the intense heat and impact spread across a large area within the power plant campus.
The Vedanta Limited Chhattisgarh Thermal Power Plant, in a statement, said the incident took place at the Unit 1 boiler plant. The company said the incident involved personnel belonging to NTPC GE Power Services Ltd., one of the contractors of the power plant.
“Our immediate priority is to ensure the best possible medical assistance and treatment for all those affected. We are extending full support to the injured and are closely coordinating with medical teams and local authorities. We are in the process of ascertaining details, and a thorough investigation has been initiated in coordination with our partner and relevant authorities,” the statement added.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the incident. “The news of the devastating boiler explosion at the Vedanta Power Plant in Singhitarai, Sakti district, is extremely saddening and painful. The news of the death and injury of some workers in this accident is deeply distressing. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and give the families the strength to bear this unbearable loss,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X, adding that a thorough and impartial investigation would take place. “Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
