A boiler at an Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLCL) India thermal power plant exploded in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu on Thursday. The explosion led to a spurt of blaze, causing serious burn injuries to two contract workers and wounding six others, who have been hospitalised, an official said.
The mishap occurred at the sixth unit of the Thermal Power Station-II in the evening and two workers sustained serious burn injuries, an NLC official told PTI.
“Due to pressure, there was an explosion in the boiler and it led to a flash fire injuring six workers and two technicians,” he said, when asked about the accident.
The boiler is 84-meter high and when the accident occured, the workers and technicians were at a height of about 32 meters, the official added.
Visuals showed smoke billowing from the power plant.
Following the accident, the power generation was halted and the injured were rushed to a private hospital in Tiruchirappalli (about 147 km from Neyveli) after first aid and treatment at an in-house health facility.
On preliminary assessment at the health facility, doctors said two contract workers sustained serious burn injuries while the wounds of others were comparatively minor.
According to reports, two of the workers sustained 70% burn injuries and are critical.
The TPS-II is a 1,470 MW facility and has seven 210 MW units currently generating 450 MW power. On Tuesday, the conveyor belt at TPS II, which has seven units, reported a fire accident.