Six workers killed, 17 injured as boiler explodes at NLC thermal plant

All the 17 injured were taken to NLCIL Hospital, and 16 were shifted to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai for speciality treatment

Six workers were killed and 17 others were injured when a boiler at NLC India Lts's thermal power unit (TPS II) at Neyveli exploded on Wednesday.

The accident was reported on Wednesday morning in Unit V of Thermal Power Station-II, (TPS-II) while it was under shutdown and maintenance activities were being carried out. Fire broke out in the boiler area following an explosion, NLC India said.

Without mentioning the number of casualties, the company's statement said the NLCIL maintenance team of one executivee, two supervisors, three non-executive employees and 17 contract women were injured. Out these 23, six workmen belonging to a contractor succumbed to injuries on the spot.

All the 17 injured were taken to NLCIL Hospital, and 16 of them were sent to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai for further higher speciality treatment.

A high-level enquiry headed by P K Mohapatra, retired director (technical), NTPC has been ordered into the cause of the accident, apart from an internal enquiry committee with senior executives headed by Director (Power) of NLCIL/

The company suspended the head of TPS-II pending enquiry by the management. All the four units of 210 MW each of TPS-II Stage-II have been ordered for shutdown.

The cause of the boiler blast is yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami expressing his grief at the death of six workers announced a solatium of Rs 300,000 to the families of the deceased. 

He also announced Rs 1 lakh for the severely injured and Rs 50,000 for those with smaller injuries.