2 people injured in NLC blast incident succumb to injuries

• The second victim who passed away was the supervisor of the contractual workers, a spokesperson for NLC said

• Multiple inquiry committees have been set up both internally and externally by the government to probe the blast at NLC

New Delhi: Days after a person injured in the blast that took place at a thermal power station owned by state-run NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu succumbed to his injuries, another person who was injured in the incident has died. PSU Watch had earlier reported that a total of eight people had been injured in the incident and two people among them had sustained over 70 percent burns. The second victim who passed away was the supervisor of the contractual workers, a spokesperson for NLC told PSU Watch on Tuesday.

The NLC thermal power station is yet to be fully functional. It has seven units of 210 MW each. As of now, five units are functional, said the spokesperson. 

What caused the fire?

According to sources who spoke to PSU Watch on the condition of anonymity, the fire was caused because of pressure build-up in the boiler. "That particular day, pressure had built up inside the boiler unexpectedly which caused the fire. Some fire escaped from the boiler. And at the same time, these people (the victims) were near the conveyor and got burnt. It is difficult to say right now how the pressure built up."

Multiple inquiries ordered into the incident

A spokesperson for NLCIL said that multiple inquiry committees have been set up both internally and externally by the government to probe the blast at NLC. "At our end, an internal committee has been set up, a multi-disciplinary committee inside the thermal unit will also probe the incident, and another probe will be conducted by Deputy Director (Boiler). An independent inquiry will also be conducted into the incident by a panel headed by former CERC Member AS Bakshi."

"The best possible treatment is being given to the other people who were injured in the incident at a hospital in Trichy," he added. The thermal power station has seven units of 210 MW each. Out of these, five units have been revived. All other units are expected to be functional by May 11, said the NLC spokesperson.