The death toll in the horrific boiler explosion at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district rose to 20 on Wednesday, with seven more workers succumbing to injuries . Behind the official figures lie devastating personal stories—of a man who dreamed of building a home for his family, and a widower who was the sole breadwinner for his two children .
The explosion occurred around 2:30 pm on Tuesday in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the plant in Singhitarai village. The blast was so powerful that it left several workers with severe burn injuries . According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed soon after. Seven more died in hospitals on Wednesday .
A dream of a home, shattered
Among the deceased was Ritesh Kumar, 28, a welder from Bhagalpur district in Bihar. His brother Santosh Kumar, waiting outside the post-mortem centre at Raigarh Medical College, fought back tears as he spoke. “He was saving money to build our family home. He had laid the foundation last year and was saving for the rest of the construction. Now who will build it?”
Ritesh had dropped out of school and started working as a welder at the age of 18. Over the years, he had worked in five states—Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and most recently Chhattisgarh for the last three months. He leaves behind his wife and three children—two daughters in college and a son in school .
The family received the news of the explosion an hour after it happened. Santosh and Ritesh’s wife travelled nearly 700 kilometres from Bihar to Raigarh, only to learn that Ritesh had not survived. “His wife collapsed. We had to send her back,” Santosh said .
A widower who never returned
Sheikh Saifuddin, 40, a painter from Haldia in West Bengal, was also among the dead. His brother Rafiq described him as the sole provider for his two children—an 18-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son. Saifuddin’s wife had died of an illness two years ago .
Saifuddin had come to Chhattisgarh seven to eight months ago because the wages were better—approximately ₹24,000 per month, compared to half that in West Bengal. “He was planning to return to Bengal to vote in the upcoming elections,” Rafiq said. “Two years ago, his wife passed away. Now his children have lost both parents” .
A secret risk
Brijesh Kumar from Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh had been working as a carpenter across multiple states for eight years. He recently took up a painting job at the Vedanta plant for better pay, but kept the risks hidden from his family. “He did not tell us it was such dangerous work. Otherwise we would have advised him against it,” said his father-in-law, Uday Ram, who travelled to Raigarh to claim the body .
Brijesh is survived by his wife and two young sons, aged three and one .
The explosion and its aftermath
The explosion occurred when a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam burst. A preliminary technical investigation by the Chief Inspector of Boilers found that excessive fuel accumulation inside the boiler furnace led to extreme pressure buildup, displacing the lower pipe from its designated position . A report from the Forensic Science Laboratory in Sakti confirmed the finding .
A total of 36 workers were affected in the blast. Sixteen others remain injured, with five undergoing treatment in Raipur and 11 in Raigarh hospitals. Several are in critical condition .
The deceased include workers from seven states: six from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh .
Legal action and compensation
On Thursday, police registered an FIR against Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, plant head Devendra Patel, and 8-10 others under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita .
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased worker and ordered an inquiry by the Bilaspur division commissioner. Vedanta Power has announced Rs 35 lakh compensation for each deceased worker’s family, along with employment support for dependents .
The company has set up a ‘Vedanta Samvedna Kendra’ helpline for affected families. However, family members of some victims have alleged that no official from the company visited them .
As wait continues for the families of other victims still searching for their loved ones, the death toll serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of industrial negligence .
