Six killed, 16 injured in boiler explosion in TN
NEYVELI: Six men were killed and 16 others injured when a boiler exploded at the NLC India’s thermal plant here on Wednesday, an official said.
While preliminary inputs from the explosion site said two people died, the toll has gone up to six now, the NLC official said.
“Six men have died. Sixteen people who sustained injuries have been rushed to a hospital in Chennai,” he said.
The six deceased men, aged between 25 and 42 years, were contract workers.
The injured include employees who have sustained at least 40% burn injuries according to an initial assessment, the official said.
The mishap occurred at the fifth unit of the thermal power station-II (210 MWx7) when workers were in the process of resuming operations on Wednesday
morning. Home minister Amit Shah, expressing anguish over the loss of lives, spoke to CM K Palaniswami and assured all possible help. “Have spoken to @CMOTamilNadu and assured all possible help. @CISF HQrs is already on the spot to assist the relief work. Praying for the earliest recovery of those injured,” the home minister tweeted.
Palaniswami announced a solatium of ~3 lakh to families of each of the six workers who were killed and an aid of ~1 lakh and ~50,000 to those who suffered serious and mild injuries . “A high level probe headed by PK Mohapatra, retired director (technical), NTPC has been ordered into the cause of the accident apart from an internal enquiry committee with senior executives headed by director (power) of NLC India. The unit head of thermal power station-II has been placed under suspension pending enquiry. All the 210 MW units of thermal power station-II, have been ordered for shut down for safety audit,” CGM (PR) S Gurusamynathan said.