Massive fire broke out at Anpara thermal power station in Sonebhadra

A massive fire broke out in the switchyard of Anpara thermal power station in Sonebhadra late on Monday night. 

The Anpara thermal power plant is located on the banks of Rihand reservoir in Sonebhadra district. It has a total of 9 units and has a power generation capacity of 3,830 MW. Of the three units at the plant, Anpara A and B are owned by UP Thermal Power Generation Corporation while Anpara C is owned and operated by a private company. 

Officials said in Lucknow on Tuesday that the fire started at power evacuation station or switchyard around 11 pm and engulfed the coal yard. The flames were so high that people could see it from quite some distance. Soon after detecting the fire, top plant officials rushed to the site and intimated district administration, police and fire service officials. 

Several fire tenders were pressed into srvice and the fire could be put out after one hour. Several electrical equipment were gutted in the fire. The exact cause of fire was being investigatedbut officials suspected a short circuit as the most probable cause. Officials sources said that as a precautionary measure, the 210 MW first and third unit of the station was tripped. Officials said that the 120 KV switchboard (Singrauli incoming line) in the main grid was destroyed completely and an employee of the power plant suffered burn injuries. As a result of the fire, the 400 KV line between Obra and Sonebhadra also shut down leading to a situation of power crisis in the state.