Eyes downcast, voice choking with emotion, she speaks into the microphone.
"Mere bachhe log khoj rahe hai papa kab aayenge (My children are wondering when Papa will come home)," wife of Thanda Ram Lahre, a man killed in the blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district last week, told NDTV.
"Mummy, mere papa kab ayenge (When will papa come home)," the children are asking her, she said, fighting back tears.
"Who will look after my children now," she asked.
Thanda Ram, an employee at the plant, was one among 24 people killed in the blast on April 14.
The explosion occurred in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
Police have registered an FIR under sections related to causing death by negligence and negligent conduct with machinery.
A preliminary technical investigation into the blast found that excessive fuel accumulation inside the boiler furnace led to a pressure build-up, triggering the explosion, police officials earlier said.
A report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Sakti also confirmed that the accumulation of fuel and the resulting excessive pressure were the primary causes of the explosion, they said.
The family alleges that no company official has visited them even once, despite their village, Jamgahan, being just 15 kilometers from the accident site.
Instead of visiting the family, they were reportedly called all the way to Korba, nearly 80 kilometers away, only to receive a compensation cheque.
"We were given the cheque in Korba. We were called to Korba. We went there on 17th," said a relative of Thanda Ram.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families who have lost a member in the tragedy and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced Rs 35 lakh compensation for the families who have lost a loved one in the tragedy, along with employment support. The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
