FIR Filed Against Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal After 20 Killed In Chhattisgarh Plant Blast

Last Updated:April 17, 2026, 01:36 IST

Chhattisgarh police file FIR against Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal and others over Sakti power plant blast that killed 20 and injured 16.

An FIR has been filed against Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal in connection with the blast at the Vedanta power plant in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh, where 20 people were killed and several others injured.

A case has been registered at Dabhra police station under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

“Eight to ten individuals, including Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, have been named in the FIR. If more persons are found responsible during the investigation, their names will be added," Thakur told the news agency.

The explosion occurred on April 14 at the plant in Singhitarai village when a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine burst, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries. The incident claimed 20 lives and left 16 people injured.

What Initial Probe Says?

A preliminary technical investigation into the blast at the Vedanta power plant has found that excessive fuel accumulation inside the boiler furnace led to a pressure build-up, triggering the explosion, police officials said.

"According to an initial report submitted by the Chief Boiler Inspector, the excessive fuel inside the furnace generated high pressure, causing a blast in the boiler. The pressure forced a lower pipe of the boiler out of its designated position, resulting in the severe accident," a police statement informed.

A report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Sakti also confirmed that the accumulation of fuel and the resulting excessive pressure were the primary causes of the explosion, the statement added.

According to plant officials, the explosion was triggered by a leak in the tube carrying high-pressure steam generated in the boiler unit to the turbine, which rotates to produce electricity.

The blast occurred at around 2.30 pm in a tube supplying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Unit-1 boiler of the Athena Power plant, the report cited officials as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)

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