In a third major accident at the construction site of Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS), about 11 kms from here, two workers were killed on-the-spot and two others injured after a weak trench-wall collapsed on them, at about 10.30 am on Friday.
The deceased were identified as Mukhilesh (25) and Muthin (53). The injured, Syed Husein (35) and Najeeb Ulha (53), were rushed to teaching hospital attached to Raichur Institute of Medical Science (RIMS). All the victims are from West Bengal.
As per eye witnesses' account, a group of labourers were working in a 4-meter depth trench, at a narrow passage between the trench-embankment and a heavy iron pipe of a 2.7-meter diameter when the trench mound that was made of loose soil slid on them.
“The labourers were involved in the work of constructing a strong supportive wall for the 2.7-meter wide iron pipe that was laid down in the trench for supplying hot water from main plant to cooling tower number 2,” G.C. Mahendra, Chief Engineer (Civil), told The Hindu at the spot.
Disruption
As the accident news spread like wildfire, as many as 4,500 labourers who were engaged in different work across the construction site stopped their work and rushed to the spot. They even disrupted rescue operations, at two occasions, by pelting stones at the rescue personnel. They allowed only the injured to be rushed to hospital. They did not let the police to take the bodies to hospital. Upon their stiff resistance and demand, doctors from KPCL hospital at Shaktinagar were summoned to the spot. After examining at the spot, Dr. Ramesh Jagli confirmed the death of the two.
The workers firmly said that they would allow for the removal of bodies only after the settlement of compensation payment. Meanwhile, the police called for additional forces to avaoid unwarranted developments.
Assistant Commissioner, M.P. Maruthi, Additional Superintendent of Police, J. Papaiah, Circle Inspector (Raichur Rural) Basavaraj, along with other officers and police force, had camped and supervised the rescue operation.
The project
Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) are jointly constructing the YTPS at the cost of Rs. 9,015 crore. While 991 acres of lands are already handed over for the project in the first and second phase, additional 130-acres are yet to be acquired in the third phase. Once completed, the two-unit station, with each unit having an installed capacity of 800 MW, is expected to generate 11,913 million units of electric power a year.
