Two workers lost their lives in a tragic incident at the Dr Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS) in Ibrahimpatnam, near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh on March 19. The deceased were identified as Chotu Kumar Singh (23) and Jitendra Singh (24), both from Jharkhand. The incident occurred when the cable of a lift in an under-construction building at the plant snapped. The lift was carrying approximately 20 workers, which allegedly caused it to overload and get stuck. While 18 workers managed to exit the lift, the cable snapped with two workers still inside. The lift fell from a height of about 70 meters, causing both workers to sustain severe injuries. They were immediately taken to the NTTPS Board Hospital, but were declared dead soon after.
The police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. The bodies of the deceased were moved to Vijayawada Government Hospital for post mortem examination. Some workers at the plant claimed that the lift was designed to hold only 10 people, but heavy material was also being transported through it at the time of the accident. The contract workers were working on stage five of the plant’s construction.
Following the incident, labor unions staged a protest at the plant, demanding compensation for the families of the deceased and job opportunities for them. The plant officials have assured them that they will take necessary steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.
