16 dead and dozens injured in UP thermal power plant explosion
lucknow — At least 16 people were killed and dozens more injured in an explosion on Wednesday at a thermal power plant in northern India, officials said.
Sanjay Khatri, the area’s top administrative officer, said a pipe carrying ash from the burning coal exploded in the newly installed boiler at the power plant in Unchahar in Uttar Pradesh state. The explosion spewed hot ash over workers at the plant.
Police said the death toll is likely to increase because at least a dozen workers suffered severe burns.
A massive fire broke out inside and a huge ball of dust rose after the explosion, making rescue operations difficult, an official told IANS.
The unit was the sixth at NTPC and was commissioned on March 31 this year, a senior official said.
An alert has been sounded at the community health centre (CHC), district hospital and at other medical centres, after the accident.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is in Mauritius on a three-day visit, directed Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar to monitor the situation and brief him regularly.
The chief minister has announced ex-gratia of Rs200,000 each to the families of those killed, Rs50,000 each to those seriously injured, and Rs25,000 each to those with less grave injuries.
Senior district officials and police officials are at the accident site and overseeing rescue and relief operations, a state government spokesman said.
Relatives of workers gathered outside the main gate of the power plant desperately seeking information, police officer Suresh Chandra said.
Officials said the explosion took place in the boiler which is filled with water in tubes which are heated. This in turn creates steam which moves the turbines and generates electricity. —