Death toll from India boiler blast rises to 26

NEW DELHI — The death toll in a boiler blast in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh has risen to 26, as rescuers and police continue to search for the missing, officials said on Thursday.

More than 100 people who were injured in the blast are undergoing treatment at hospital.

“The total number of casualties could go up once the blades of the boiler are removed,” a police spokesman said.

The blast took place on Wednesday in a newly installed boiler at a National Thermal Power Corp plant at Unchahar Raibareli, about 110 kilometers southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

The new 500-megawatt unit was operating on a trial basis.

According to Uttar Pra- desh’s Home Secretary Anand Kumar, pressure inside the ash pipe triggered the blast.

Around 150 workers were said to be at the plant when the blast took place.

Reports said the blast triggered a massive fire, after which the plant was shut down.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply pained” by the accident.

“My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. The situation is being closely monitored and officials are ensuring normalcy is restored,” Modi wrote on Twitter.

The authorities have ordered a probe into the explosion.