3 killed as rains lash Kerala on day 3 of monsoon
Thiruvananthapuram, June 10: Monsoon rains lashed parts of Kerala, claiming three lives while a depression in the Arabian sea intensified into a deep depression Monday, police and the weather department said.
Two of the victims, including a woman, were electrocuted on a water-logged road here while a man died and two others were injured when a tree fell on them in Kochi, police said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the depression in the Arabian Sea moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 15 kmph in last six hours and intensified into a deep depression and is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during next 24 hours.
The system lay centred at about 250 km northwest of Amindivi in Lakshadweep as of 11.30 am Monday, it said forecasting widespread rainfall with heavy falls at isolated places in the next three days in the region.
Wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gustingto 55 kmph was very likely to prevail over along the coast of Kerala and Karnataka, it said in a bulletin.
The fishermen have been warned not to venture into sea for next two days as it was likely to be rough.
In the first fatal rain related incidents in the state, after the South West Monsoon set in on June 8, a man and woman, aged 63 and 60 respectively, were killed when they came into contact with snapped power cable early Monday morning at Pettah in the city, police said.
In Kochi, a lottery worker, riding his two-wheeler, was killed when a tree got uprooted and fell on him and on to a car passing by. Two occupants of the car were injured, they said.
Alappuzha recorded 7 cm rainfall, Agathi (Lakshadweep) 6 cm, Neyyattinkara and Varkala (both in Thiruvananthapuram district), Cherthala & Mancompu (both in Alappuzha district) 4 each, Thiruvananthapuram City and Ernakulam South recorded 3 cm each, the Met department said.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon 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.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, 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.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
