Rae Bareli NTPC blast: Toll rises to 26, PM Modi announces compensation

The blast had occurred when a 50 megawatt boiler at the plant in Unit 6, commissioned only six months ago, exploded. In its official response, the NTPC said that the tragedy occurred due to “hot flue gases and steam”. However, a source connected with the exercise said that the explosion was caused by a blast in the boiler unit. The source added that those workers who were in close proximity of the unit when the boiler exploded were flung several metres in the air due to the intensity of the blast.

The Delhi Police on Thursday set up a green corridor from the Indira Gandhi Airport to AIIMS in New Delhi so as to facilitate the process of shifting the injured persons by air ambulance from Lucknow to the capital.

SEE PHOTOS | Glimpse Of Horror: Visuals from the NTPC plant explosion site that left many dead

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is currently on an official visit to Mauritius, on Wednesday had also announced a compensation of Rs two lakh and Rs 50,000 to the families of the deceased and the grievously injured, respectively.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was till Wednesday on a ‘Navsarjan Yatra’ in poll-bound Gujarat, halted his campaign to visit the explosion site in Unchahar. He also visited the Rae Bareli district hospital to meet the  injured.

Meanwhile, a team of Magistrate and technical officer has been formed which will conduct a magisterial inquiry into the incident, Rae Bareli District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar told news agency ANI. He added that rescue operations by the NDRF are underway. The 500 MW unit of the plant has been shut, as of now.

The plant of 1,550 megawatt capacity, supplied electricity to nine states.