Ten more workers have died, taking the death toll from the boiler explosion at a Chhattisgarh power plant to 19, police said on Wednesday.
A blast in a boiler tube at the Vedanta Limited power plant in Singhitarai village of Sakti district on Tuesday afternoon had killed nine workers and injured more that 15, police officers said.
Sakti Superintendent of Police (SP) Prafull Thakur said 36 workers were affected in the incident. “The toll has now risen to 19, while 17 injured workers are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur and Raigarh,” he said.
Sakti collector Amrit Vikas Topno said efforts were underway to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
The deceased have been identified and their families are being contacted, the collector said, adding that arrangements are being made to transport the bodies to their villages after postmortem, along with immediate financial assistance.
The district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. In an order issued on Tuesday, the collector said the accident occurred in Boiler Unit-1 due to a technical fault in the water supply pipeline joint of the boiler’s steam pipe.
The inquiry, to be conducted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Dabhra, will examine the sequence of events, identify workers present, assess whether the cause was technical or due to human negligence, review safety inspections, and fix responsibility. The officer has been directed to submit a report within 30 days.
According to police officers, the deceased include workers from multiple states — five each from Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, three from Jharkhand, and two each from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Vedanta Power has announced ₹35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support. The company will also provide ₹15 lakh to each injured worker, ensure continuation of salary during recovery, and extend counselling support, according to a statement.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident by the commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against those found responsible.
The company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Meanwhile, the Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla alleged negligence on the part of the plant management and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible. He demanded ₹1 crore compensation for the families of the deceased and ₹50 lakh for the injured.
The 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai was originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd. Construction began in 2009 but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022. Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which one 600 MW unit was commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
