Desk Correspondent , Raipur - A boiler explosion at Vedanta Ltd's power plant in Singhitarai, Chhattisgarh, killed 20 workers and 15 were injured after excessive fuel accumulation inside a boiler furnace, triggering high pressure. Police have registered an FIR naming Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal, company manager Devendra Patel and others under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 106(1) for causing death by negligence and 289 for negligent conduct with respect to machinery. The blast involved personnel of subcontractor NTPC GE Power Services Limited, and preliminary technical findings corroborated by a Forensic Science Laboratory report point to lapses in maintenance and operations as the direct cause.

Chhattisgarh Police said Vedanta and the subcontractor failed to follow standard norms for machinery upkeep, leading to pressure fluctuations that sparked the explosion. A detailed probe is now under way with technical experts to fix further responsibility. The incident occurred in one of the plant’s boiler units, though the exact date has not been specified in the FIR. Officers emphasised that the negligence directly contributed to the high death toll among contract workers.

Vedanta had issued a statement on April 14 saying its immediate priority was providing the best medical care to the injured and coordinating with local authorities. A company spokesperson later refused to comment on the FIR. The case has once again drawn attention to safety standards at large industrial facilities in the state, even as the investigation continues to identify all accountable parties.