At least 16 persons died and around 50 injured after a boiler tube exploded at the National Thermal Power Corporation unit in Unchahar in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh on November 1.
According to U.P. ADGP Anand Kumar police have recovered 10 bodies so far. The toll could go up, he added.
U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Principal Secretary, Home, to oversee the rescue work and announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh each to the family of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those injured grievously and ₹25,000 for other injuries.
Google Maps image locates NTPC unit at Unnchar in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district.
Senior officials have rushed to the spot. An NDRF team consisting of 32 personnel have left Lucknow for Unchahar.
Nearby trauma centres and hospitals are on alert to give immediate relief to patients of the tragedy, said U.P. Health Minister Sidharthnath Singh.
Mr. Kumar, the ADGP, said prima facie the boiler burst due to built up pressure caused by the gathering of ash. "Prima facie, what the NTPC management has told me, ash gathered in the furnace of the boiler, which should not have happened. Due to gathering of ash, pressure built up and the boiler burst. [As for] the reasons why it happened, this is a technical probe and NTPC officials will do it," Mr. Kumar said. The boiler was installed just six months ago.
Describing it as an “unfortunate accident,” the NTPC said: "In NTPC Unchahar, Unit No. 6 at around 1530 hrs on 01.11.2017 there was sudden abnormal sound at 20 mt. elevation and there was opening in corner no.2 from which hot flue gases and steam escaped affecting the people working around the area."