CUDDALORE: Six workers died and 16 workers were injured in a boiler blast in unit five of the second thermal power station of Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) on Wednesday morning.

NLCIL management is however unable to recover the bodies of six workers from a 32 metre high boiler.  

As per the NLCIL management sources, the boiler remained non-operational on Tuesday night. However, about 12 contract workers and five permanent staff have tried to restart the boiler on Thursday morning at about 10.00 am.

During which, a blast occurred and workers had to rush themselves from the top through the stairs as the lift was stuck.

Of the 17 workers who were assigned for the job, one worker escaped without injuries, while 16 others sustained burn above 40 per cent. These workers have been sent to Apollo Hospital in Chennai, said NLCIL sources.

The NLCIL #BoilerBlast occurred when workers tried to restart the boiler in the morning. Scenes from #Neyveli.
Express video.@xpresstn @NirupaSampath pic.twitter.com/iS1u8wst6o

— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) July 1, 2020

Only when a count of the workers was made later, it was found that six of the workers are missing. These six were not originally assigned for this work on the particular boiler, said management sources.

A spokesperson said all six were trapped inside the boiler and very less chance of survival. However, the bodies are yet to be taken.