Six dead, 17 injured in boiler explosion in Tamil Nadu's Neyveli lignite plant

At least six workers were killed, and 17 others injured following a boiler blast at the 2nd thermal power station of the state-owned Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited in Neyveli, 212 km from here, on Wednesday. This is the second such incident during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

The incident took place at the 5th unit of the 2nd thermal power station at around 10 am during the maintenance process.

Thick billows of smoke could be seen coming out of the massive premises in videos shot by onlookers.

This is the second time in as many months that the 2nd plant, which is a 1,470 MW facility comprising of seven 210 MW units currently generating 450 MW power, has witnessed an explosion. A blast which took place in the month of May had claimed four lives.

NLC said in a statement that one executive, two supervisor, three non executive employees and 17 contract employees were involved in maintenance activities when the blast took place.

“Six people have lost their lives in the incident. 17 people were injured and 16 were rushed to a private hospital in Chennai for further treatment," M Sree Abhinav, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore District, told DH.

NLC said all six deceased were contract employees. It also said it has instituted two inquiries one by P K Mohapatra, retired Director (Technical), NTPC, and another by Director (Power), NLC, in go into the incident.

Also, unit head of TPS 2 has been placed under suspension pending enquiry. The company also said all the four units of TPS 2 stage 2 have been ordered for shut down for immediate safety audit.
NLC said the incident took place at the 5th unit when workers restarted the boiler in the morning. “We are still investigating how the accident happened. We have also shifted the injured to a private hospital in Chennai,” an official with NLC said.

As six people died in the second blast in two months, activists and political parties pinned the blame on NLC management for not “properly maintaining its facilities.”

PMK MP and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the NLC management has failed to take steps to renovate the 2nd power plant, which was commissioned 34 years ago. “Though the average lifespan of a thermal unit is 30 years, and it can be operated for another 20 years after renovation, the NLC management has not renovated the second unit since its commissioning,” he said.

While the first three units are 34 years old, the remaining four of the total seven units were commissioners 29 years back. Anbumani blamed the accidents in the past two months on “lack of proper maintenance” of the units by the NLC. He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for families for each of the dead.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and assured all possible help. “CISF is already on the spot to assist the relief work. Praying for the earliest recovery of those injured,” Shah said.

CM Palaniswami also condoled the death of the six workers and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh each to the next of kin.