Sakti boiler blast kills 20, Negligence alleged, Vedanta faces fresh scrutiny

Sakti | Correspondent: In the tragic industrial accident, in order to increase production, safety rules were ignored, which led to the major mishap.

By this time, almost 20 workers hailing from different parts of the country have died in the Boiler explosion. While 16 sustaining 80-90% burns are fighting for their lives.

Of these dead wokers five hailed from Chhattisgarh namely Uddhav Singh Yadav, Raigarh, Rameshwar Mahilange, Janjgir-Champa, Amritlal Patel, Sakti, Thanda Ram Lahre, Sakti. Other workers belonged from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar respectively. the workers names are as follows.

Sushant Jena, East Medinipur, West Bengal

Sheikh Saifuddin, East Medinipur, West Bengal

Manas Giri, East Medinipur, West Bengal

Kartik Mahato, Pirra, West Bengal

Shivnath Murmu, Pirra, West Bengal

Pappu Kumar, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Brijesh Kumar, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Raju Ram, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Nadeem Ansari, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Tarun Kumar Ojha, Dhanbad, Jharkhand

Ashok Parahiya, Palamu, Jharkhand

Abdul Karim, Bokaro, Jharkhand

Ritesh Kumar, Sonbarsa, Bihar

Aqib Khan, Darbhanga, Bihar

In an investigative report led by Boiler Inspector Ujjuwal Gupta from the Industrial Safety Department said, the time The furnace pressure rose very quickly, within 1–2 seconds, so it was not caused by any external pipe failure.

At the same time, unburnt fuel had accumulated inside the boiler due to a fault in the Primary Air (PA) fan. This imbalance between air and fuel caused an internal explosion. The pressure inside the furnace rose sharply within just 1–2 seconds, making it impossible to control or shut down the system. The blast also damaged nearby pipelines.

Besides, as per the reports, the plant tried to increase power output rapidly from 350 MW to 590 MW within one hour. This sudden rise created excessive pressure inside the furnace.

The report has been submitted to SP Prafulla Thakur, and an FIR is being prepared. Collector Amrit Vikas Topno has also ordered a magisterial inquiry.

The incident raises serious questions: why was the plant not shut down after early warnings? Why was production increased despite known risks? And why did the backup system fail?

The investigation also found that warning signals were visible in the control room systems. Red alerts were showing technical problems, but they were ignored, and work continued.

Vedanta’s troubled safety record

This is not the first time that allegations of safety violations have been raised against Vedanta's facilities. Repeated fatalities across the group's mining, oil, gas, and power sectors point to a deeply concerning pattern.

Vedanta's safety record has long been controversial. An analysis of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2010 showed that 67fatalities were reported under Vedanta Resources, the highest among the mining companies at the time.

In the same period, after 40 workers died in a chimney collapse in Korba, Chhattisgarh, the British Safety Council withdrew a safety award previously given ti the company. While the company blamed adverse weather, the police later registered a case of culpable homicide against those responsible.

Recent data also raises questions about the company’s safety claims. According to Vedanta’s annual reports, workplace fatalities increased from 7 in FY 2020 to 13 in FY 2023. Although there was a decline in FY 2024, the number rose again in FY 2025, with six workers and one employee losing their lives.

The data indicates that Vedanta, along with companies like Coal India and Larsen & Toubro, continues to rank among those with the highest workplace fatalities. More concerning is the sharp rise in health and safety complaints from 603 last year to 1,363 in FY 2025, pointing to worsening working conditions.

Public anger against Vedanta is not limited to industrial accidents. The company has also faced criticism over deaths linked to protests.

In 2018, 14 people protesting against the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, were killed in police firing, with locals alleging environmental contamination. In 2019, two people died in a clash between security personnel and tribal communities in Lanjigarh, Odisha.

In the recent Chhattisgarh incident, most of the deceased workers were employed through a subcontractor, NGSL. While the company has announced compensation and job support for families, and the Prime Minister has also declared ex gratia relief, the recurring nature of such incidents raises serious concerns about the company’s operational and safety practices.

Compensation and relief announced

Vedanta management in Raipur has announced ₹35 lakh compensation for the families of each deceased worker and up to ₹15 lakh for those seriously injured. The company has also promised a permanent job to one member from each deceased worker’s family.

Apart from this, both the Central and State governments have announced additional relief. The Central Government will provide ₹2 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also said that the state government will give ₹5 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.