A Vedanta power plant boiler blast in central India has killed 19 people and injured 17 others, according to police, marking one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the country this month. The explosion struck a facility operated by Vedanta Limited in Chhattisgarh state’s Sakti district.
District police chief Praful Thakur told AFP that 19 people had died and 17 others were receiving treatment in hospitals. Earlier reports had put the toll lower, but local authorities said the number rose as more victims succumbed to their injuries.
The blast occurred on Tuesday at the power plant in Sakti district. Officials believe a pipeline may have burst, releasing superheated steam while workers were eating lunch.
AP reported earlier that the explosion originated from a boiler tube, though authorities had not yet confirmed the exact cause. That means investigators are still working to establish precisely what triggered the disaster.
Police said 17 injured people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Earlier reporting from Indian outlets had described a larger pool of injured workers immediately after the explosion, with casualty figures changing as rescue and medical efforts continued.
The accident has renewed attention on emergency response and workplace safety standards at heavy industrial sites in India, where serious accidents continue to occur with troubling frequency.
Vedanta and State Authorities Launch Separate Probes
Vedanta Resources chairman Anil Agarwal said he was distressed by what he described as an extremely tragic accident and announced a high-level investigation. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also ordered a state probe and vowed the strictest possible action against anyone found responsible.
AP likewise reported that the company was prioritising medical care for the injured and cooperating with authorities as investigators examined the blast.
Industrial accidents remain common in India, often because companies and regulators fail to enforce safety rules effectively. It also points to a fire at a fireworks factory in western India last month that killed 17 people.
This latest blast adds to those concerns and is likely to intensify calls for stronger compliance, better inspections and more accountability in high-risk industrial sectors. That broader safety question may become just as important as the immediate investigation into what happened at the Vedanta plant.
