12 killed as BALCO structure collapsed

    Korba, September 23, 2009: At least 12 labourers were killed today and scores injured when a under construction structure of 1200 MW power plant of the BALCO collapsed here in Korba district of Chhattisgarh.

     “We are not sure how many of the labourers are still trapped under the debris of the Chimney that collapsed in the afternoon,” Korba District Collector Ashok Agrawal told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

     Local authorities, however, confirmed the death of 12 labourers and said works are on war footing to clear the debris to confirm the actual number of deaths.

     It was designed for 250 metre but when it had hardly reached 178 metre the structure was collapsed and BALCO engineers blamed faulty design for that.

     Unconfirmed sources said at least 150 labourers were on their job when the incident took places and it was not clear about how many are missing and who have been killed.

     “But is for sure that the death toll could be more,” said BALCO insiders.