Three persons including two officers and a contractual worker died on Saturday after the pipeline in the Kopili hydroelectric project in Assam's Dima Hasao district raptured following heavy rains on the hills of neighbouring Meghalaya.
The incident took place on Saturday morning in the 275KW power project belonging to North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) in the Kopili river and its tributary stream Umrong. The deceased included a manager and a deputy manager of the civil branch.
Although NEEPCO has not disclosed the details about how the incident took place, officials in the district administration said the plant was shut for the past few weeks for maintenance purposes and the three tried to close the intake gate of the reservoir when the mishap took place.
"Water level rose very fast following heavy rains in Meghalaya on Friday night. The pressure created by the water probably led to the explosion," said an official.
Disaster response personnel were rushed into action as soon as the three persons were swept away by the water. Their bodies were found on Saturday afternoon.
In 2019, a similar mishap took place in the plant near Umrangso.
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Published 26 March 2022, 14:16 IST