Chhattisgarh: 9 Dead, 15 Injured In Boiler Blast At Vedanta Power Plant
Rajkumar, father of an injured, said, "My son is admitted here. Around 3 PM, this incident happened. We are asking about his condition, but no one is telling us anything. My son was working here for 4 months. No one from the Power Plant came here"
Raipur: At least nine people were on Tuesday killed and over 40 others injured in an explosion in one of the boiler units in the Vedanta power plant in Singhi Tarai village in Chhattisgarh’s Shakti district, officials said.
The death toll may increase as conditions of some of the injured persons were stated to be critical, officials said.
Majority of the injured people were admitted to a private hospital in the neighbouring district of Raigarh.
“As many as 18 injured people were brought to the hospital. Five or six of them have died. We are giving priority to the treatment of the injured. Details will be known later”, Raigarh sub-divisional officer (SDO) Mahesh Sharma said.
Sources said that some other injured people were admitted to other hospitals.
Eyewitness accounts said that there was a stampede-like situation in the unit with workers running helter-skelter to safety following the explosion.
The local administration and the police rushed to the spot to launch rescue and relief operations.
In a statement, the plant spokesperson said, “An unfortunate incident occurred in one of the boiler units at our Singhi Tarai plant on the afternoon of April 14, 2026, involving personnel from our sub-contractor, NGSL, which operates and maintains the unit.”
“Our immediate priority is to ensure the best possible medical assistance and treatment for all those affected. We are extending full support to the injured and are closely coordinating with medical teams and local authorities.”
The spokesperson further said, “We are in the process of ascertaining details and thorough investigation has been initiated in coordination with our partner and relevant authorities.”
Sources said that some people were feared trapped inside the unit.
Relief and rescue operations were underway till the last reports came.
Meanwhile, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai described the incident ‘unfortunate’ and ordered a probe into it.
Mr. Sai ordered the local administration to ensure effective relief and rescue operation and proper medical treatment to the injured.
Chhattisgarh Congress unit president Deepak Baij slammed the state government for not being able to ensure safety of workers in the industries by strictly monitoring safety and security measures in the industrial units in the state.
He demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh each to the deceased and proper treatment for the injured.
