CUDDALORE: Six workers died and 17 others suffered injuries in a blast in thermal power station (TPS) II of NLC India Limited at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The blast happened in unit 5 of TPS II around 9.55am.
The injured workers were given first aid at NLCIL general hospital and were later referred to a private hospital in Chennai for advanced treatment. Eleven of the 17 injured are said to be in a critical condition.
The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, officials said. Generally, overheating and high pressure lead to the explosion of the outlet unit of the boilers, they said.
Tamil Nadu chief minister announced Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the six deceased workers. Those who suffered severe injuries will get Rs 1 lakh each and those suffered minor injuries will get Rs 50,000 each.
It may be recalled that five workers were killed and three others were injured in a blast in unit 6 of the TPS II on May 7 this year.
Labour union leaders and a section of political leaders have been holding the company responsible for frequent accidents killing or injuring workers. They accused the company of compromising on safety aspects of the plant.
Five accidents have happened in TPS II in the last 18 months.
Immediately after the May 7 explosion, PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss insisted that the management undertake safety audit and close the units that do not have adequate safety measures and facilities in place.
The TPS II has seven units with a capacity of 210MW each. The plant has roughly 2,000 workers, including administration and distribution staff members. The average life span of a thermal unit is 30 years and the unit could be operated for another 10 or 20 years after renovation.
In Video:Blast in NLC thermal power station in Tamil Nadu’s Neyveli, six workers killed, several injured
The injured workers were given first aid at NLCIL general hospital and were later referred to a private hospital in Chennai for advanced treatment. Eleven of the 17 injured are said to be in a critical condition.
The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, officials said. Generally, overheating and high pressure lead to the explosion of the outlet unit of the boilers, they said.
Tamil Nadu chief minister announced Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the six deceased workers. Those who suffered severe injuries will get Rs 1 lakh each and those suffered minor injuries will get Rs 50,000 each.
It may be recalled that five workers were killed and three others were injured in a blast in unit 6 of the TPS II on May 7 this year.
Labour union leaders and a section of political leaders have been holding the company responsible for frequent accidents killing or injuring workers. They accused the company of compromising on safety aspects of the plant.
Five accidents have happened in TPS II in the last 18 months.
Immediately after the May 7 explosion, PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss insisted that the management undertake safety audit and close the units that do not have adequate safety measures and facilities in place.
The TPS II has seven units with a capacity of 210MW each. The plant has roughly 2,000 workers, including administration and distribution staff members. The average life span of a thermal unit is 30 years and the unit could be operated for another 10 or 20 years after renovation.
In Video:Blast in NLC thermal power station in Tamil Nadu’s Neyveli, six workers killed, several injured
