NTPC unit blast in Raebareli kills 26; eyewitnesses say they crawled over bodies, hot ash

Eyewitnesses of the NTPC unit blast in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli that claimed 26 lives and left over 200 injured describe how they managed to escape alive.

IndiaToday.in  | Posted by Pranav Dixit
Raebareli, November 2, 2017 | UPDATED 12:09 IST
NTPC Blast SiteNTPC Blast Site

Highlights

  • 1
    NTPC Raebareli boiler blasted off last night.
  • 2
    22 people have been confirmed dead and over 200 injured so far.
  • 3
    Sonia Gandhi has asked Congress cadres to help in rescue operations.

Eyewitnesses of the boiler blast at NTPC unit in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli on Wednesday evening are still struggling to come to terms with the horrifying incident as they describe how they crawled out to safety, literally over the bodies of victims and hot ashes.

As many as 26 people have been confirmed dead so far while more than 200 others are reported injured.

According to an onlooker Arvind, "The blast in the plant took place when a steam pipe burst. As the plant was all in flames, hot ashes sprung out of this pipe as high as 25-30 feet. We could see smoke billowing out of the site."

Another eyewitness Radheyshyam said, "Due to the explosion, the bodies of several workers working near the steam pipe were blown to smithereens. Those who escaped the blast were heard screaming as hot ashes fell on them like molten lava. There were scenes of chaos and panic all over the place."

Shankar, who worked at the plant and considers himself fortunate to have escaped alive, says several bodies were scattered across the site. "While many treaded on the bodies of others to get out to safety, some people hid behind the machine of the plant", he added.

Meanwhile, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was on a three-day visit to Gujarat as part of the third leg of his Gujarat NavSarjan Yatra from Wednesday, cut short his tour and and met with the victims of the tragedy in Raebareli.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi , whose Lok Sabha constituency is Raebareli, has asked Congress cadres to help in rescue operations and provide every possible help to the families of the injured.