Death Toll Rises at Indian Power Plant 7 Months After Start
- Accident happened at NTPC unit in northern Indian state Nov. 1
- Company shuts the newly-commissioned 500MW unit at plant
Smoke billows from a coal-fired power plant after a boiler unit exploded in the town of Unchahar in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Nov. 1, 2017.
Source: AFP via Getty ImagesAn explosion at a newly commissioned unit of a coal-fired power plant in northern India killed 32 people, while about 80 are still recovering from injuries in one of the nation’s worst industrial disasters in recent years.
Flue gases and steam were released by the blast Wednesday afternoon at NTPC Ltd.’s Unchahar power plant, India’s biggest electricity producer said in a statement. NTPC has shut the unit, which was commissioned in March and began commercial operations in September, while the rest of the facility is operating. The company raised the number of casualties at a press briefing in New Delhi on Friday from 29 earlier.