NTPC explosion: Rahul Gandhi meets injured in Rae Bareli district hospital

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi reached Rae Bareli district hospital in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and met those injured in NTPC explosion. The toll in the NTPC boiler blast in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli rose to 22 on Thursday, with two more succumbing to burn injuries, officials said. Meanwhile, the state government has ordered a magisterial probe.

Gandhi was in Gujarat as part of his three-day Navsarjan Yatra ahead of the Assembly polls in the State on Wednesday. However, he decided to visit his mother's constituency in wake of unfortunate accident in the power plant. Congress president Sonia Gandhi who represents Rae Bareli in Parliament.

"Due to the unfortunate NTPC accident, I will visit Rae Bareli tomorrow morning. Will join Gujarat Navsarjan Yatra in the afternoon," he tweeted after addressing last meeting in a village near Surat on Wednesday.

The death toll in the explosion at NTPC plant in Raebareli has risen to 26. A boiler in the NTPC's Unchahar plant exploded on Wednesday evening. Rescue operations by NDRF are still underway at the explosion site.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of deceased, Rs 50,000 for critically injured and Rs 25,000 for injured.

PM Narendra Modi approved ex- gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the accident at NTPC plant in Raebareli. He also approves Rs 50,000 each for those injured in the accident.

NTPC operates a 1550 Mega Watt power plant of Uttar Pradesh, which is named after Feroze Gandhi, husband of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

OneIndia News