At least 18 workers were killed and nearly 100 were injured when a boiler exploded at the new 550 megawatt unit of National Thermal Power Corporation’s Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Plant around 3.30 pm in Raebareli on Wednesday.
The toll is expected to rise. Relief and rescue operations were underway and the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for workers suffering serious injuries and Rs 25,000 for other injured workers.
In a statement, the NTPC said, “Around 3.30 pm, at unit number six, there was a sudden unusual and loud sound at 20 metre elevation. There was an opening in corner number two, from which hot gases and steam escaped affecting the people working around the area.”
An injured employee undergoing treatment said a sudden gush of hot gas and ash-like material engulfed him and he was scalded all over. He became unconscious and found himself in hospital when he regained senses.
Union Power Minister RK Singh, through social media posts, expressed deep anguish at the loss of lives and said he has directed the NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh to rush to the site.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed shock and horror at the “terrible tragedy” in her lok Sabha constituency Raebareli. Conveying her deepest condolences to the families of the bereaved, Sonia urged the authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured.
Chief Medical Officer of Raebareli Dr KK Singh said so far 18 bodies were brought to the district hospital and several injured workers were admitted there. The critical patients were sent to lucknow for advanced treatment.
Dr Singh said that if necessary some of the critical cases could also be referred to Delhi by air ambulance.
Dr Singh said all ambulances and fire tenders available in Raebareli and neighbouring districts were rushed to the Unchahar plant. The power plant management has banned the entry of outsiders in the plant premises except for those involved in relief and rescue operations.
The explosion triggered panic among workers who ran helter-skelter. The Raebareli district administration rushed ambulances to the plant and directed Health Department officials to provide prompt treatment to the injured.
UP’s Additional Director General (law and Order) Anand Kumar said that all available ambulances were pressed into action and the Additional District Magistrate and the Additional Superintendent of Police were on the spot to supervise relief and rescue operations.
The new thermal unit of the NTPC, set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals limited (BHEl), was commissioned in April this year. The plant has five other generating units of 210 MW each and the total installed capacity is 1,550 MW.
Principal Secretary (Information) Avneesh Awasthi, who is accompanying the Chief Minister on a three-day Mauritius visit, said “The CM has taken cognizance of the Unchahar accident and directed Principal Secretary (Home) to ensure that all steps were taken for rescue and relief.”
Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said that a 32-member team of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) was rushed to the site of the accident, which is 100 km from the State capital lucknow.
Police sources said that the blast was so intense that the bodies were thrown far and wide in the area around the site. The 550 MW units were on trial run when the accident occurred.
The Unchahar plant is one of the coal-based power plants of the NTPC, a Maharatna listed Central PSU. This plant was originally set up by the then UP State Electricity Board (UPSEB) and commissioned in 1986. The Board was later disbanded in 2000 and split into three companies in the public sector.
During the regime of Kalyan Singh as Chief Minister in 1992, the ownership and management of Unchahar thermal power plant was transferred to the NTPC against the payment overdue from UPSEB.