RAIPUR: A powerful boiler explosion at the Vedanta Limited Chhattisgarh Thermal Power Plant in Sakti district on Tuesday afternoon left at least 10 workers dead and 23 others severely injured, many with critical burn injuries, in one of the state’s worst industrial accidents in recent years, triggering panic and a massive rescue operation.The blast occurred around 2-2.30 pm at unit number 1 in the plant located in Singhitarai village near Dabhra police station.Police and administrative officials rushed to the site soon after the explosion, while fire tenders and rescue teams began evacuation and relief operations.Police said the explosion was likely caused by a tube rupture that led to a high-pressure steam leak before triggering a blast in the coal-fired boiler system.District collector Amrit Vikas Topno and Sakti SP Prafull Thakur confirmed multiple fatalities with 33 workers suffering severe burns, of whom ten were killed, 23 are under treatment including six very critical. They said, of the ten workers who lost their lives in the incident, four were dead on the spot and six died while being shifted to hospital.Sakti being a remote district, having no immediate health care for critical cases, the injured were rushed to several medical facilities in neighbouring Kharsia, Raigarh districts while several critically injured workers were being considered for airlifting to specialised burn units.“Rescue operations have now been called off, and all affected workers have been evacuated from the site,” SP told TOI, who rushed to the spot soon after receiving information and supervised rescue and relief efforts.Meanwhile, Congress MLA Ram Kumar Yadav has staged a protest outside the plant, demanding adequate compensation for the victims and accountability from the administration. Families of workers gathered outside the plant, demanding access to the injured, leading to tense scenes that required heavy police deployment.SP said that all were contract workers mainly belonging to Jharkhand and Bihar and their identities were yet to be released. Officials said that due to the severe burns, it’s becoming difficult to identify the workers. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic inside the plant, with workers fleeing amid intense heat, smoke and confusion.The plant, operated by Vedanta Ltd with an installed capacity of 1,200 MW, had routine operations underway when the incident occurred. Chaos broke out inside the premises, with workers rushing out amid thick smoke and heat.Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai termed the incident “deeply tragic” and ordered a thorough and impartial probe, assuring strict action against those found responsible. He directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.Former CM Bhupesh Baghel and leader of opposition Charandas Mahant also expressed grief and called for adequate compensation and proper treatment of the injured.In a statement, Vedanta management said its immediate priority was to provide medical assistance and that it was cooperating with authorities to ascertain the cause of the accident. It involved personnel from our sub-contractor, NGSL which operates and maintains the unit. “We are in the process of ascertaining the details and thorough investigation has been initiated,” it stated.Officials said the situation remains fluid, with the possibility of the death toll rising as several victims are in critical condition.
