The death toll in the blast at a Vedanta Ltd power plant in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district has risen to 24 after another injured worker succumbed on Sunday, officials said.
Eleven others remain under treatment at various hospitals, with two reported to be in critical condition.
A worker, identified as Manish Kumar, a native of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, died during treatment at Raigarh Medical College in the early hours, a government official said. The incident occurred on April 14 at the plant located in Singhitarai village.
According to officials, the explosion took place in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries. Four workers died on the spot, while nine succumbed shortly after the blast. Seven more died on April 15, one on April 16 in Raipur, and two others on Saturday, taking the toll to 24.
Also read: Two more die in Vedanta boiler blast, toll now 23
The deceased include workers from multiple states, seven from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, four each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, and two each from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, underlining the scale of the tragedy.
Of the 11 injured, six are admitted to Jindal Hospital in Raigarh, two each at Balaji Metro Hospital and Apex Hospital in Raigarh, and one at Shri Shankara Hospital in Raipur. Two of the injured remain in critical condition, officials said.
Police have registered an FIR under provisions related to causing death by negligence and negligent conduct with machinery. “Eight to ten individuals, including Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal and plant head Devendra Patel, have been named in the FIR. If more persons are found responsible during the investigation, their names will be added,” Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur had said.
A preliminary technical investigation indicated that excessive fuel accumulation inside the boiler furnace led to a pressure build-up, triggering the explosion. A report by the Forensic Science Laboratory in Sakti corroborated these findings.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has directed the Bilaspur divisional commissioner to conduct a detailed probe, while the district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry.
The Opposition Congress has demanded stricter charges, calling for the invocation of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the case.
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