Unchahar power plant boiler blast toll rises to 29 says NTPC

The toll in the massive explosion that ripped a boiler at NTPC's Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district yesterday has risen to 29, the state-run power giant said today.
"Twenty nine persons have succumbed to injuries and 85 are being treated at hospitals in Rai Bareilly and Lucknow," the NTPC said in an update issued in the evening.
Yesterday, a boiler exploded the in unit six of the 1,550-megawatt (MW) plant.
The plant supplies power to nine states. The 500 MW unit-6 is under complete shut down after the blast, the NTPC said.
Power Minister R K Singh visited the NTPC station in Unchahar early morning today and monitored the situation. UP Energy Minister Shrikant Sharma was with Singh, the statement said.

The Union Power Minister also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 20 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 10 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs 2 lakh to the other injured over and above the statutory compensation, it said.

The Power Minister met NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh and other senior officials and also visited the injured admitted in hospitals at Rai Bareilly and Lucknow today, it added.
The NTPC said that while Unit-6 of the plant is under shutdown after the accident, the other units of the station were operating normally it said adding that it is a system based organisation which follows best practices.

The NTPC expresses deep grief, support and condolences for the deceased workers who contributed towards providing 24X7 power to all, it added.