Tue Jan 07 18:29:09 UTC 2025: **One Dead, Four Injured in Waste-to-Energy Plant Accident Near Bengaluru**
BENGALURU, January 7, 2025 – A tragic accident at a waste-to-energy plant under construction near Bidadi, outside Bengaluru, has resulted in one death and four serious injuries. Umesh Kumar Singh, a 29-year-old boiler assistant, died Tuesday morning from injuries sustained Sunday evening when a pipe carrying hot ash unexpectedly released its contents. Four colleagues, Amlesh (31), Santun (31), Tarun (29), and Lakhan (28), suffered serious burns, one critically with 70% burns.
The accident occurred during an inspection phase of the plant, which is being built under a public-private partnership between Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) and ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd. (with Hitachi Zosen India as a collaborator). Energy Minister K.J. George stated that the pipe was reportedly blocked, and workers opened it without proper safety precautions. While the plant is not yet officially handed over to KPCL, the Minister ordered a technical investigation and promised compensation to the victims and the deceased’s family. The plant’s inauguration has been postponed pending the investigation’s conclusion.
Bidadi police have filed charges against the private company’s site engineer, manager, and managing director under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide and negligence. The investigation will determine the exact cause of the accident and assign responsibility.
First Piper 