24 people have been killed in 6 industrial accidents at NLC since 2017: Pralhad Joshi

• A total of 10 accidents have taken place at NLC since 2017 until August 2020 in which 28 people have been killed, the Coal Minister told the Rajya Sabha

• The lignite power generation plant hit headlines earlier in May and then again in July after two blasts took place at two separate units of TPS-II, killing a total of 20 people

New Delhi: A total of 10 accidents have taken place at Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) since 2017 until August 2020 in which 28 people have been killed, Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi told the Rajya Sabha on Saturday. Out of these 10 accidents, victims were responsible for the mishap in four cases. The other six cases were industrial accidents caused due to malfunction, negligence or non-adherence to standard operating procedures. And a total of 24 people were killed in these incidents, Joshi told the Upper House. 

The statement comes in the backdrop of two major accidents at NLC in the past few months. The lignite power generation plant hit headlines earlier in May and then again in July after two blasts took place at two separate units of TPS-II, killing a total of 20 people in 2020 alone. While the July blast that took place at unit V of TPS-II killed 15 people, the May blast which took place at unit VI of the same station killed five.

Disciplinary action taken against 21 senior executives for May & July accidents at NLC

The Minister for Coal said that disciplinary action was taken against 14 senior executives for the July blast, and against seven senior executives for the May blast. For the other incidents of industrial accidents, action was taken against seven senior executives, the Rajya Sabha was told. 

Also read: Four units at NLC TPS-I retire, but what about the fatal TPS-II that killed 14?

However, the May and the July accidents at NLC were the deadliest accidents in the past three years as they accounted for the most number of casualties out of the total of 24 killed since 2017.

What caused the explosion? 

According to Joshi, the explosion in May occurred outside the Boiler furnace because of "instantaneous combustion of accumulated lignite inside the box girder." The July explosion, on the other hand, took place "due to unknown phenomenon of possible lignite dust / hydrogen and methane gas explosion inside box type girder while the Boiler was in stopped condition."

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