Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant accident, death toll in power plant explosion increases to 16

Chhattisgarh: After the death of two more workers injured in the blast at Vedanta power plant in Sakti district, the number of people who lost their lives in the accident has increased to 16. Police officials gave this information on Wednesday. The blast took place on Tuesday afternoon in the power plant of Vedanta Limited located in Singhitarai village. The explosion occurred in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine. Many workers got badly burnt due to this blast.

According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while 12 others later succumbed to their injuries. Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafulla Thakur said that the death toll in this incident has increased to 16. An official of the Industrial Safety Department said that a laborer had died in a hospital in Raigarh in the morning. While two other laborers died during treatment in a hospital in the capital Raipur. He said that out of 18 other laborers injured in this incident, four are currently admitted in Raipur, while 14 are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of Raigarh district. Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased laborer and Rs 50 thousand to the injured.

He has also ordered the Commissioner of Bilaspur Division to investigate this incident and assured that strict action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. Apart from this, Vedanta Power has also announced a compensation of Rs 35 lakh to the family of each worker who died in the accident as well as assistance in employment. A statement issued by the plant management said that the company will also give Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, will continue their salary till they recover and will also help them in counselling. Furthermore, the district administration has ordered a separate magisterial inquiry, while the company has initiated an internal investigation. The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure free and proper treatment to all those injured. He has said that any kind of negligence in their care will not be tolerated.

Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno has appointed Dabhra Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) for a magisterial inquiry. The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days. The report will include important aspects such as the cause of the accident—whether it was due to a technical fault or human error—and details of the safety checks conducted at the plant. Meanwhile, opposition party Congress has demanded registration of a case against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident. Sushil Anand Shukla, head of the communication department of the State Congress Committee, accused the management of negligence and the government of trying to save the culprits. He also demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured. Construction of a 1,200 MW coal-fired thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) at Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Limited, began in 2009, but was put on hold between 2016 and 2022. Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.