3 min readRaipurUpdated: Apr 14, 2026 11:07 PM IST
The 13 people who died at a Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh succumbed after superheated steam from a boiler’s pipeline rained on them, officials have said. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, Sakti collector Amrit Vikas Topno said.
The blast occurred around 2.30 pm in a boiler tube at the power plant in Singhitarai village. “After the pipeline burst, superheated steam with a temperature of around 600 degrees fell on the people who were having lunch. Some others who were walking in the open space also got injured,” said a senior official from the district.
“Ten people have died. One of them is from Sakti, while the rest are from other states. We are trying to identify them. Another 20 are injured,” said Prafull Thakur, Superintendent of Police, Sakti district.
11 people died and 23 were injured at a Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh when a boiler pipe burst and superheated steam rained down on workers
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Ajit Naskar, a worker from West Bengal who was at the unit, told the media, “I have been working here for over a month. We were given painting work. The incident took place around 2.30 pm when we started work after lunch. Suddenly, I heard a blast, and there was smoke everywhere. We were at a height of 17 meters. I was in one corner, so I hid inside a cupboard. Some people climbed down and ran off. Forty to fifty people were doing painting work at the time.”
After the incident, protesters gathered outside the plant. Chandra Sen Patel, who was among them, said, “My father, a housekeeper, died on the spot.” Local Congress MLA Ram Kumar Yadav was also present at the site.
Thakur said several workers have been rescued. “We asked the authorities to turn off the boiler operations, and after it cooled down, we started the rescue operations. Everyone has been rescued.”
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said a “thorough and impartial investigation of the incident will be ensured. Whosoever is found guilty in this matter will face the strictest possible action.”
In a statement, Vedanta Limited Chhattisgarh Thermal Power Plant said, “Our immediate priority is to ensure the best possible medical assistance and treatment for all those affected… We are in the process of ascertaining details, and a thorough investigation has been initiated in coordination with our partner and relevant authorities.”
