NEW DELHI: At least 10 people were killed and 40 others injured on Tuesday after a boiler exploded inside a power plant in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, multiple local media reports said.
The blast occurred at the Vedanta power plant in Singhitarai village in Sakti district, about 228 kilometres northeast of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.
“Ten people were killed and over 40 others injured in an explosion at a power plant in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district on Tuesday,” local television news channel NDTV quoted police as saying.
According to the news channel, some workers are feared trapped at the site.
The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to local government officials, some of the injured are in critical condition.
Immediately after the explosion, authorities rushed personnel from the police, fire and emergency services, health and disaster management departments to the site to carry out rescue efforts.
Preliminary information revealed that the blast occurred in a boiler tube at the power plant at around 2.30 pm (local time), when workers were on their lunch break.
TV footage showed columns of smoke emanating from the power plant.
Accidental explosions are common in Indian factories as owners often ignore safety standards. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
