Over 18 killed, several hurt in NTPC boiler blast near Rae Bareli

The NTPC initiated a probe to ascertain the reasons behind the blast while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the grievously injured, they added. 

“Eighteen deaths have been confirmed by the district administration. Twenty two people with severe burns have been referred to Lucknow. Another 15 are in Rae Bareli hospital,” UP’s ADG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar said. He added that the number of casualties could rise.

Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said that 90-10 persons had been injured in the blast. In a statement, the NTPC said that at around 1530 hrs at unit number six of its Unchahar plant, there was a sudden abnormal sound at 20 meters elevation. There was an opening in corner number two from which hot flue gases and steam escaped affecting the people working around the area, the central public sector undertaking said. It added that around 80 people were rushed to NTPC hospital, most of them were discharged after giving first-aid. 

Union Power minister RK Singh, through social media posts, expressed deep anguish at the loss of lives and said that he had directed the NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh to rush to the site. The Unchahar sub-division in Raebareli district is around 110 km from the state capital. 

ADG Kumar said that all available ambulances were pressed into action and the additional district magistrate and the additional superintendent of police were on the spot to supervise relief and rescue operations.

A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was also despatched to the explosion site from the state capital for relief and rescue operations, an official said. Chief Medical Officer, Raebareli, DK Singh along with a team of ten doctors were deployed to carry out immediate treatment to the injured, he said. 

He also said that arrangements have been made to bring the serious cases to KGMU hospital and the civil hospital in Lucknow. he added that if necessary some of the critical cases could be referred to Delhi by air ambulance.