Chinese engineer held in Balco chimney collapse

Another Chinese engineer accused in the Vedanta-controlled Balco chimney collapse in Korba district of Chhattisgarh can visit his home country, but only for a few months.

Following the petition of Korba police, the Supreme Court had asked the three Chinese Engineers working with China-based Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation (Sepco) not to leave the country.

The three Chinese Engineers were accused in the collapse of under-construction chimney at Vedanta-controlled Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (Balco) power plant in Korba that Sepco was building. The incident that took place on September 23, 2009 claimed 41 lives.

“The Supreme Court had granted permission to Woo Chunan, the project in-charge of Sepco to visit his home country China,” Korba Superintendent of Police Ratanlal Dangi told Business Standard. Chugan, who left for China on Saturday, had been asked to return within four months, Dangi said.

Chunan was asked to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 1 crore that had been deposited by the company in the Balco Nagar branch of the State Bank of India.

Earlier, the apex court had allowed two other junior engineers O Lou and Wan Qung to leave the country and visit China in November last year. The two, also accused in the chimney disaster, had pleaded to go to their home country to solemnize their marriage. The court had asked them to return within 14 days. Dangi said both the junior engineers had returned to Korba within the deadline set by the court after solemnizing their marriage in China.