Fire rages at Patratu Thermal Power Station, Rs 60 crore lost

Ranchi, Aug 11 (UNI) The massive fire that engulfed 350 MW Patratu Thermal Power Station last night, today gutted two major units stopping total production even as thick smoke billowed from burnt cables suffocating several people besides destroying property worth about Rs 60 crore.

However, no casualty was reported from the fire site, about 40 km from here, but 15 people, including the PTPS General Manager P M Singh, fell unconscious due to suffocation.

Later, talking to UNI over phone the General Manager informed that unit number IX and X were completely destroyed and hoped that the fire would be doused by tonight.

Mr Singh said there was no need of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire as over-current in the breaker sparked off the devastation.

''If the situation was brought under control, a Russain unit was in a position to generate 40 MW from tonight,'' he said.

Earlier, a security officer monitoring the fire control operation told UNI over phone that about eight fire tenders had been pressed into service to contain further spread of fire, which was confined to unit number IX and X of the station.

The scene turned worse as thick black smoke continued to billow from the burnt cables making it impossible for men on operation to breathe properly, he said adding more fire tenders were being rushed from neighbouring Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Bokaro.

The cause of the fire was stated to be short circuit in the underground cables at unit no IX. The fire which erupted at about 2030 hrs last night later surfaced engulfing the tranformer of the unit. Then it spread to unit number X, the official said.

With fire raging at the major thermal project at Patratu, the capital town suffered power cut last night.

However, 40 mw was managed from Chandil loop line for VIP localities, railways etc.

UNI PRS KK rd 1343