NTPC plant explosion: Toll rises to 26, Rahul reaches Raebareli

TIL Desk/National/Raebareli(Unchahar)/ The death toll in an explosion at the National Thermal Power Corporation plant in Unchahar area of Raebareli has risen to 26, Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Raebareli District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri had said that at least 22 people have been killed and 66 injured in the incident.

“So far, 22 causalities have been reported and 66 injured people are undergoing treatment. NDRF teams are conducting rescue operations at the spot, so there are minute chances that more victims will be found,” the district magistrate had said. “We have constituted a team, comprising a magistrate and a technical officer, which will conduct a magisterial inquiry into the incident,” he added.

According to a doctor at the Raebareli hospital, most of the victims suffered third-degree burns in the incident and were therefore shifted to Lucknow hospital. “Yesterday (Wednesday), approximately 42 people came to our hospital. Two of them were brought dead. We gave first aid to the rest 40 people and shifted them to their ward. Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi arrived in Raebareli to visit the injured.