NTPC power plant blast: NHRC issues notice to UP government, magisterial probe ordered

NTPC power plant blast: Smoke billowing out of NTPC’s Unchahar Power Plant where a blast took place in a boiler, in Raebareli district on Wednesday. PTI Photo

A day after a massive explosion at the state-run power giant NTPC’s Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradesh claimed at least 30 lives, Union Power Minister R K Singh on Thursday said next of kin of those killed will get a compensation of Rs 20 lakh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Wednesday announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the seriously injured in one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in years.

In a statement, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has said that at unit number six of its Unchahar plant, there was a sudden abnormal sound at 20-meter elevation around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. There was an opening in corner number two from which gases and steam “escaped” affecting the people working around the area, the statement added. It further said that around 80 people were rushed to the NTPC Hospital, most of whom were discharged after first-aid. The 1,550-MW plant supplies electricity to nine states, according to officials, and employs around 870 people.

NTPC power plant blast: Rescue personnel at the NTPC plant in Unchahar, Rae Bareli, on Wednesday night. Vishal Srivastav

The unit 6, where the boiler exploded, is under shut down, the PSU said. “This is to inform that Unit#6 (500 MW) of Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Station, Raebareli,Uttar Pradesh, is under shutdown after an accident in the evening of November 1, 2017. The other five units of the station are operating normally,” NTPC said in a statement.

The NTPC and state administration have also ordered a probe to ascertain the reasons behind the incident. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has taken a break from his ongoing ‘Navsarjan Yatra’ in poll-bound Gujarat and is visiting Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh to meet the families of victims of the explosion. Raebareli is the parliamentary constitutency of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who has expressed shock at the “terrible tragedy”.

PM Narendra Modi condoles deaths

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he was “deeply pained” by the accident, as he today approved an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those killed in the explosion. PMO said on Twitter: “Prime Minister @narendramodi has approved an ex- gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the accident at the NTPC plant in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. PM has approved Rs. 50,000 each for those injured due to the accident.”

Only two Blast victims are in district hospital in Rae Barelli other all refer to Lucknow for proper treatment. (Source: Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi demands for a probe

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who took a break from his Gujarat election tour, arrived in Rae Bareli today morning and visited postmortem house, district hospital and NTPC premises. He also enquired about the incident from officers present at the spot. Accompanied by senior party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress state president Raj Babbar, Rahul was heard asking officers: “How many workers were working there?”

Raebareli: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi arrives to meet the family members of the victims of Unchahar NTPC boiler blast at Postmortem House in Raebareli on Thursday. PTI Photo

“People are saying that it (the plant unit) was run early (before schedule). It should not have been run that way. We will demand a probe,” the Congress vice president told PTI. Azad demanded a high-level probe by an outside agency to bring out the facts.

NHRC issues notice to UP government

The National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government today over the deaths. Expressing concern over the incident, the Commission said in a statement that a “high-level probe into the matter is immediately required to ascertain the negligence and errors, if any, behind the incident, which involves the right to life”. It said there was need to ensure that such tragedies do not recur. The notice has been sent to the chief secretary of the state. A detailed report is expected from the government within six weeks, the rights panel said.

(Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Samajwadi Party demands probe by a former High Court judge

The Samajwadi Party (SP) today demanded a probe by a retired high court judge into the incident. Senior SP leader Ahmed Hasan told PTI that the news of the accident is deeply saddening, even as he demanded a probe by a retired high court judge. “The families of the deceased should be given a Rs 50 lakh compensation, while those injured should get Rs 10 lakh,” he said.

“Apart from this, we demand that the family members of the affected persons be given government jobs,” he added.