Nine workers were killed and at least 15 others injured in an explosion at a power plant in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district on Tuesday, police said.
According to preliminary information, the explosion occurred in a boiler tube at a power station in Singitarai village in the afternoon.
Sakti Superintendent of Police, Praful Thakur, had earlier said that four workers were killed in the accident, while 15 others were injured. The Socialist Party said, “Rescue operations are continuing and the death toll is likely to rise.”
Local administration teams and police rushed to the scene shortly after receiving the information and began rescue operations.
Officials said that the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment, while efforts are still underway to find some workers who are feared to be trapped at the site.
Days after the boiler explosion at the Gujarat factory
This incident comes just days after a boiler explosion led to a fire at a factory in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, killing 21 people and injuring six others.
It later emerged that the factory on Donfa Road in Desa town was also illegal. Her application was rejected in December last year to renew her license following a negative report by the police after an inspection, as they did not find any safety measures there, according to an earlier HT report.
“All the deceased were originally from Harda and Dewas districts of Madhya Pradesh,” district collector Mihir Patel said. CB Patel, an additional collector based in Banaskantha, said the explosion occurred at the place where firecrackers were stored, causing the ceiling to collapse on the workers.
Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel had said that no license had been issued for the facility, adding that the injured were taken to hospital following the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences, saying: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the explosion at a fireworks factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I hope the injured recover soon. The local administration is helping those affected.”
Prime Minister Modi also announced an ex-gratia $2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased and compensation $50,000 for the injured.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also announced a donation $4 thousand to the families of the deceased $50 thousand compensation for those injured in the accident.
