Bidar’s waste plant blast toll rises to 4: Police
The toll from the January 4 explosion at the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Bidadi town in Karnataka rose to four after three workers succumbed to injuries over the last two days
The toll from the January 4 explosion at the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Bidadi town in Karnataka rose to four after three workers succumbed to injuries over the last two days, officials said.
According to police, Amalesh Chaudhary, 31, Lakhan Pawar, 28, and Tarun Kumar, 24, succumbed to burn injuries on Wednesday night and Thursday while undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. Another worker, Umesh Kumar Singh, 34, had died on January 7.
Another worker Santuna Sadai, 32, is in a critical condition at the hospital’s intensive care unit.
The incident took place when hot ash and partially burnt garbage erupted from a malfunctioning boiler, leading to the blast.
“The explosion took place as the workers tried to clear the clogged waste from the boiler, which malfunctioned, leading to hot ash and burning debris gushing out of it,” said Ramanagara deputy SP Dinakar Shetty.
According to Bidadi police inspector GK Shankar Naik, the WTE plant is a joint project between the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and has been operational on a trial basis. The plant utilises a boiler system to incinerate dry waste, producing ash as a by-product.
In the wake of the accident, Karnataka energy minister KJ George visited the plant on January 7 to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered under Section 106 of the BNS (causing death by negligence) against five officials of plant and an investigation is underway, police said.