Vedanta plant boiler blast kills 9 in Chhattisgarh; company says sub-contractor staff involved

At least nine workers were killed and 15 injured in a boiler blast at Vedanta Ltd’s power plant in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district on Tuesday, police said, with rescue operations continuing amid fears that more workers could be trapped.

The blast occurred in a boiler tube at the company’s plant in Singhitarai village in the afternoon, Sakti SP Praful Thakur told reporters. “Nine people died and 15 injured in a boiler blast at Vedanta Power Plant in Singhi Tarai area of Sakti district. The injured have been taken to hospital in Raigarh,” he said, ANI reported.

Vedanta later issued a statement confirming the incident and saying it involved contract personnel. “An unfortunate incident occurred at one of the boiler units at our Singhi Tarai plant on the afternoon of 14 April 2026, involving personnel from our sub-contractor, NGSL, which operates and maintains the unit. Our immediate priority is to ensure the best possible medical assistance and treatment for all those affected. We are extending full support to the injured and are closely coordinating with medical teams and local authorities,” a company spokesperson said.

That company statement is important for two reasons: it places the incident at a boiler unit, and it says the affected personnel were linked to NGSL, the sub-contractor operating and maintaining the unit, rather than directly identifying them as Vedanta employees.

Official comments from the state also pointed to a broader accountability review. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai described the incident as “heartbreaking” and said strict action would follow after the investigation.

"The incident is unfortunate, and in this difficult time we express our condolences and stand with the family. May God grant peace to the departed soul. A proper investigation will be conducted, and strict action will be taken against whoever is found guilty during the inquiry," CM told media.

Local authorities have not yet publicly released the cause of the blast, and there was no official confirmation at the time of writing on whether a technical fault, equipment failure or safety lapse triggered the accident.

The plant is Vedanta’s thermal power facility in Singhitarai, Sakti district. The company had previously said the Chhattisgarh thermal power plant was part of its expanding power portfolio and that the first 600 MW unit had been commissioned in August 2025.

For now, the key verified facts are these: nine dead, 15 injured, boiler tube blast, and an ongoing rescue-and-probe operation. Everything beyond that, including the final toll and the cause, remains subject to official confirmation.