"Being Probed Minutely": Collector On Vedanta Boiler Blast That Killed 23

Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno said on Saturday that the authorities are minutely probing the boiler blast at the Vedanta thermal power plant in Chhattisgarh. He said the authorities are combing through details to fix accountability and find out what triggered the blast.

"I would like to tell you one thing clearly, that regarding this incident, the central administration, state administration and district administration are very serious. Secondly, they are sensitive. The loss of human lives cannot be replaced, no matter what you do," he told NDTV.

He said a technical glitch triggered the blast.

He said a central government team is examining the logs to pinpoint what triggered one of the worst industrial accidents in Chhattisgarh.

"Today, the central team that came, I discussed with them, they are looking at the entire logs, from start to end...Every single thing is being investigated," he said.

"You can say, micro-observation...(we are) examining every small thing carefully," he added.

Two more workers died during treatment, taking the total number of deaths to 23. One worker died at Kalda Hospital in Raipur, while another died at Raigarh Medical College.

12 workers are still undergoing treatment in various hospitals.

Early probe suggests excessive fuel accumulated inside the boiler furnace, leading to a rapid rise in pressure. The pressure dislodged a pipe and caused a structural failure, triggering the blast.

The Forensic Science Laboratory in Sakti is probing into the blast to corroborate initial findings.

The police have registered a case under the directions of Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur. The case names Vedanta Director Anil Agarwal, company manager Devendra Patel and other officials and employees.