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Uttar Pradesh NTPC blast: 20 killed, 100 injured, death toll may rise

Author: Dimple Shah
by Dimple Shah
Posted: Nov 02, 2017

An explosion at an Indian power plant killed 20 people and injured up to 100 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, authorities said, in one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in years.

More than 20 survivors suffered severe burns in the blast in the coal-fired plant operated by state-run Ntpc (NTPC.NS), and casualty numbers would probably rise, state police said.

The 1,550-megawatt (MW) plant in the town of Unchahar supplies electricity to nine states, according to NTCP’s website. But the company said other facilities would make up the shortfall and outages were unlikely.

"Ash had piled up in the furnace beneath the boiler, which then led to building up of pressure resulting in the explosion," senior state police official Anand Kumar said in a statement posted online.

India’s largest power producer said there was a "sudden abnormal sound" at a unit around 3:30 p.m., and flue gases and steam escaped.

The company said the NTPC boiler blast hit a 500-MW unit that had been operating since April. Three other units with a combined capacity of 630 MW were continuing to operate, it added.

Around 90-100 people were injured, Uttar Pradesh’s top bureaucrat handling law and order, Arvind Kumar, told Reuters.

Police said 20 people have been confirmed dead by the district administration.

22 people were killed and dozens were scalded as a boiler exploded Wednesday afternoon in the newest power generating unit at a state-run NTPC plant in Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. The number of dead and injured may rise as many are believed to be trapped inside the unit. Many of the injured have suffered severe burns.

The boiler pipe burst in the 500 MW power generating unit that started operating in March at the plant in Unchahar, which is nearly 30 years old. A massive fire broke out and a huge ball of dust rose after the explosion, making rescue difficult.

"...there was sudden abnormal sound at 20 mt. elevation and there was an opening...from which hot flue gases and steam escaped affecting the people working around the area," the NTPC said in a statement.

The plant has now been shut down. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has also been sent to help in the rescue effort.

The injured are being treated at two hospitals including one within the NTPC campus. Those with the worst burn injuries are being taken to hospitals in Lucknow, around 110 km away.

The Unchahar plant started generating power in 1988 with five units of 210 MW each. The sixth unit was commissioned this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to say that officials are ensuring that normalcy is restored. "Deeply pained by the accident at the NTPC plant in Raebareli. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. The situation is being closely monitored and officials are ensuring normalcy is restored," he tweeted.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is in Mauritius on a three-day official v

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Author: Dimple Shah

Dimple Shah

Member since: May 08, 2017
Published articles: 447

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