New Delhi: Ten workers have died and 14 others were injured in a boiler blast at Vedanta Ltd’s Athena power plant in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh, the company said in a statement released late on Tuesday night. The incident occurred at the Unit-1 boiler of the plant at Singhitarai on April 14 and involved personnel of the company’s subcontractor, NGSL.
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“As of now 24 workmen of our subcontractor have been affected by the incident and 10 have succumbed to their injuries,” the company said.
Vedanta said its “immediate priority is to ensure the provision of best possible medical assistance and treatment to all those affected” and that it is “doing everything possible to alleviate suffering of the near and dear ones of the deceased.”
The company added that it is extending full support to the injured and is “closely coordinating with the attending medical teams and local authorities.” “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families of those affected during this difficult time,” Vedanta said.
Vedanta said it has initiated a detailed investigation into the incident. “The Company is in the process of ascertaining the details and has initiated a detailed investigation into the incident in coordination with its sub-contractor and the relevant authorities,” it said.
The power plant was originally developed by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd before being acquired by Vedanta in 2022 as part of its strategy to expand its thermal power portfolio. The acquisition brought the plant under Vedanta’s operational control, with the facility supplying power to support its industrial operations.
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Meanwhile, Congress MLA Rajkumar Yadav termed the incident “very tragic” and alleged negligence on the part of the power plant. “Today, a very tragic incident occurred due to the power plant's negligence. This incident occurred because when the villagers gave their land to the power plant, they gave it in Athena's name, and Athena built the power plant, acquiring the land and building all the systems. It is not known why they couldn't start it. Then Vedanta purchased this power plant, and after purchasing it... and generating more electricity than its capacity... No one here is in a position to tell us. Everyone has fled. Whom should we ask?... An FIR should be filed against the power plant's management so that such incidents don't happen again... Such power plants should be inspected periodically,” he told news agency ANI.