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Blast at Coal-Fired Power Plant in India, Operated by GE Vernova/NTPC JV Kills at Least 10

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A high-pressure steam line failure at Vedanta's Athena coal-fired power plant in Singhitarai, Chhattisgarh, India, resulted in at least 10 fatalities on April 14, according to a BSE filing by Vedanta Limited on Tuesday.

At the time of the blast, the facility was being operated and maintained by NGSL or NTPC GE Power Services Private Limited, a joint venture between NYSE-listed GE Vernova (GEV) and NTPC.

While Vedanta's initial stock exchange disclosure reported 10 fatalities and 24 affected personnel, District Collector Amrit Vikas Topno reportedly updated the count on Wednesday to 17 deaths, as several critically injured workers succumbed to severe burns.

The incident, involving personnel from sub-contractor NGSL, has triggered a high-level investigation into maintenance protocols at the recently commissioned 600-megawatt unit.

The company identified the cause as a failure in a high-pressure steam tube that connects the boiler to the turbine.

According to the filing, the accident occurred at about 2:30 PM on Tuesday at the Unit-1 boiler.

The 1,200 MW Athena project is a critical asset for Vedanta, which acquired the stalled plant in 2022. Unit-1 began commercial operations in late 2025.

The incident comes as India delays maintenance on 10 gigawatts of coal capacity to meet soaring summer demand, raising urgent questions about industrial safety.

Price: $987.41, Change: $-0.10, Percent Change: -0.01%

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